Spicy Caramel Corn

I have been absolutely craving caramel corn lately. It's just such a perfect fall treat. I wanted to find the perfect recipe without using corn syrup because there is something that seems so wrong about that product. It is entirely too thick and sticky to be any good. I found this kick booty recipe from smittenkitchen. At first I didn't think I could taste the spiciness, but I think I am slightly immune to spice, being half-Thai and all, because it definitely has a nice kick. But it is still a sweet treat despite the spice. I added some candy corn to make it a lil' more festive. 

Also, popping popcorn on the stove is dope. I mean DOPE. I was pretty intimidated by the thought of getting perfectly popped popcorn on the stove because I always seem to burn it, but it is really not that difficult. The key is to keep moving the pot so that the popcorn doesn't stick to the bottom and burn!

Recipe:
Slightly adapted from Smittenkitchen

Makes 4 quarts

Ingredients: 
-Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1/2 cup popcorn kernels
-2 cups salted peanuts (optional)
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see Note)
-3 cups sugar
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or coarse sea salt (see Note)

Lightly coat two large, heatproof rubber spatulas, a very large mixing bowl and two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or a thin slick of oil.

To make the popcorn: In a large saucepan or pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add two or three popcorn kernels and top with the lid. After they have popped, quickly remove them and add the 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels taking the pot off of the burner still covered to allow the kernels to heat up to the same temperature. After a minute, place the pot back on the burner, still covered and keep the saucepan moving until all of the kernels have popped, about 5 minutes. I take a dish towel to grab onto the lid and handles and hold over the burner shaking the pot like a mad woman. Transfer to the prepared bowl, removing any un-popped kernels. Toss with salted peanuts, if using.

In a small bowl, whisk together the baking soda and cayenne pepper.

Have the two large baking sheets ready. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook over high heat, without stirring, until the mixture becomes a light golden-yellow caramel, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the baking-soda mixture (the mixture will bubble up).
Immediately pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn. Working quickly and carefully, use the prepared spatulas to toss the caramel and popcorn together, as if you were tossing a salad, until the popcorn is well coated. I quickly added the candy corns at this point and stirred em in.
Spread the popcorn onto the baking sheets and quickly separate them into small pieces while still warm. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to two week.