Caramel Nut Crunch Popcorn

Mr. Food

Makes: 13
Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 min

What You'll Need:

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 cups popped plain popcorn
• 1 (12-ounce) can unsalted mixed nuts

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
    
2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from  heat and add vanilla; mix well.
    
3. In a large bowl, combine popcorn and nuts. Pour brown sugar mixture over popcorn mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Spoon onto 2 ungreased large rimmed baking sheets.
    
4. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely, until crisp. Serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes: Did you know that plain, unbuttered popcorn makes a great packing material for shipping things like cookies? Of course, this popcorn is something you'll want to wrap and send as a gift all by itself! Finally, a snack that tastes great and is good for us! Popcorn is a whole-grain food that's low in calories (when made without hydrogenated oils and butter topping) and is a good source of fiber. The National Cancer Institute, the American Dental Association and the American Dietetic Association suggest that popcorn is a sensible, versatile snack that fits into almost every meal plan.