Popcorn Brittle

Ingredients

• 14 cups freshly popped popcorn (made from 1/2 cup popcorn kernels and 2 tablespoons canola oil)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing
• 1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. 1

   Lightly butter 2 large (15 x 11-inch)

2. 2

   baking sheets and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

3. 3

   Working in batches, place 2 cups popcorn in food processor. Pulse until crushed into small pieces. Do not overprocess. Repeat with remaining popcorn.

4. 4

   Stir sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is simmering. Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan and continue heating undisturbed until temperature reaches 270F (about 10 to 15 minutes). Mixture will boil vigorously.

5. 5

   Stir in butter, molasses and vanilla. Continue heating until temperature reaches 290F (between soft- and hard-crack stages).

6. 6

   Remove pan from heat; stir in crushed popcorn. Working quickly, pour mixture over prepared sheets. Using the buttered rubber spatula, press evenly to flatten like peanut brittle. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack and break into chunks.