RECIPE: Maple Caramel Corn

This recipe is my secret weapon for book events because it’s gluten-free and nobody can stop eating it. Many a book (New England Desserts) has been sold based on the caramel corn alone. This treat also features two of New England’s best native ingredients — maple syrup and corn. The Algonquin tribes of the region made popcorn balls with maple syrup. In a similar spirit, this recipe has you cook a maple syrup-based caramel to pour over popcorn, which, once cool, can be broken into bite-sized clusters, salty and sweet. Serves 4–6.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup plain popcorn kernels

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided

1/2 cup maple syrup (I like amber)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Heat the oil and two dried popcorn kernels over medium heat in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan covered with a lid. When both kernels pop (after 2 to 3 minutes), add the rest of the popcorn kernels and re-cover the pot. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, shaking the pot frequently while holding the lid on tight with oven mitts, until the popping slows to 2 to 3 seconds between pops. Remove from the heat. (You can also pop the corn with an air-popper, if you prefer.)
2. Pour the popcorn onto a large, rimmed baking sheet and discard any unpopped kernels. Sprinkle the popcorn with half the salt and let cool while making the caramel.
3. Stir the maple syrup, sugar, and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Stop stirring and clip a candy thermometer to the pot and make sure the sensor is touching the mixture, but not the bottom of the pot. (You may need to tip one side of the pot up a bit so the liquid pools deeply enough to get an accurate reading.) 
4. Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes until the temperature reaches 300°F. If the mixture threatens to boil over, reduce the heat to low. The temperature will rise very slowly at first, but then shoot up quickly around the 280°F mark. Stay alert.
5. Remove the pot from the heat at 300°F and remove the thermometer. Carefully pour the caramel over the popcorn (it will be searingly hot). Sprinkle the remaining salt over the caramel. Do not touch the caramel until it has cooled at least 10 to 15 minutes and hardened. 
6. When fully cool, break up the caramel corn into clusters and store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.