Miso Caramel Popcorn
Serves: 12-15 cups
 
Ingredients
for the miso caramel
  • 1 can full fat usweetened Thai coconut milk
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon neutral extra virgin coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet miso paste
for the caramel popcorn
  • 1½ tablespoons coconut oil
  • ½-3/4 cup popcorn kernels (see note)
  • miso caramel (from above)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate (optional)
Instructions
to make the miso caramel
  1. Combine coconut milk and coconut sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring, until thickened to a caramel consistency.
  2. Remove from heat and whisk in coconut oil, vanilla extract and miso paste, until smooth and well combined.
to make the caramel popcorn
  1. Warm a large, heavy bottomed pot (pot must have a tight fitting lid) over high heat. Add coconut oil and let it melt and heat up for about 30 seconds. Drop in 3 popcorn kernels to test the heat and shake the pot a bit to cover them with oil. Once those kernels pop, your oil is hot enough and you are ready to add all the popcorn kernels.
  2. After adding all the kernels to the pot, cover it with a lid and begin moving the pot back and forth over the burner, to ensure that all the kernels are being covered with oil and to keep them from burning. Once you hear that the popcorn has started popping, turn down the heat to medium low and keep moving/shaking the pot quickly. You'll know that all/most of the kernels have popped when you hear the popping slow down - once there are about 5 seconds between each pop, remove the pot from the heat, your popcorn is ready. If you smell any burning at any point, remove the pot from the heat.
  3. Preheat oven to 250° F (120° C). Place two oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven. Prepare two parchment paper-covered baking trays.
  4. Pour caramel into the pot with the popcorn, a little bit at a time, mixing it in every time. If possible, have someone help you - one person can pour and the other can mix.
  5. Immediately distribute the popcorn between the two baking trays in a single, even layer. Place in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, mixing every 15 minutes, until caramel is candied.
  6. Once popcorn is ready, optionally sprinkle the chopped dark chocolate over one of the trays of popcorn while it's still hot and mix to coat to make chocolate caramel popcorn. Keep the popcorn in an airtight container or distribute between paper bags for gifts.
Notes
1. The amount of popcorn kernels you use depends on what kind of popcorn you want. If you want popcorn that's completely covered in caramel (like the second photo in this post), use ½ cup kernels. If you want popcorn with bits of caramel here and there, with some white still showing (like the first photo in this post), go for the ¾ cup.
2. Caramel popcorn technique adapted from The Kitchn.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/miso-caramel-popcorn/