Fiddle-Faddle or Candy coated Popcorn!

This is a recipe I got off the internet for Fiddle Faddle, Poppycock, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, or you could call it plain old candy coated Pop-corn! It's more of a toffee flavor not a caramel corn. But I love it!! Once I make it I about eat the whole batch... so I double it! This recipe is for  a single batch...but it doubles easily, when I double it though, I just use 3 cups of nuts instead of 4. Here's a hint, be sure to get the candy up to hard crack stage, if not, it's kind of gooey and sticks to your teeth really bad.

Enjoy!!


Candy Coated Popcorn

3/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup maple sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 cups plain popped  popcorn
2 cups nuts (pecans and almonds are what I use, but you can add cashews if you prefer, a mix is good tho'_

Combine corn syrup, sugars, butter, maple syrup, water and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the mixture and monitor it with a candy thermometer. You want the candy coating to reach 290 degrees or just before hard crack stage. The temperature continues to rise a bit after you turn off the heat, so this is a good place to stop cooking.
While the candy cooks, pop the popcorn in the microwave or popper and measure out 8 cups after it's popped. Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels. Pour popcorn into a large microwave safe bowl. Measure the nuts into a smaller microwave save bowl. Prepare  a large cookie sheet by spraying with Pam or rub lightly with butter.
Just before the candy reaches 290 degrees, microwave the nuts in the small bowl for 1 minute to warm them up.
When your candy reaches 290 degrees, turn off the heat (but leave on the burner) add the vanilla and stir in the warm nuts. Immediatly microwave the popcorn for 1 minute on high., then pour the candy and nuts mixture over the popcorn while stirring. Microwave the bowl for 1 more minute on high, then stir well to coat all of the popcorn and nuts with candy. Then quickly pour the popcorn out onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or rubbed lightly with butter.
When popcorn is cool, break up and put into a tightly sealed container to keep fresh. This stuff gets sticky when it's humid outside.
Makes 10 cups