Bacon Bourbon Caramel Popcorn

• 6 strips of bacon, reserve bacon fat
• 3/4 cup of unpopped kernels
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup bacon fat
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbs vegetable oil

1. 1. Fry bacon and set aside. Drain bacon fat and reserve for caramel mixture.
2. 2. Put three tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
3. 3. Add three kernels to the pot. When they begin to pop, add the 3/4 cup of popcorn, cover and shake pot occasionally, so popcorn doesn't burn.
4. 4. Remove pot from heat once popping has slowed, place popcorn in a large bowl.
5. 5. Heat oven to 250-degrees.
6. 6. Crumble bacon over finished popcorn.
7. 7. In a large pot, bring butter, bacon fat, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a boil, stirring constantly.
8. 8. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat.
9. 9. Stir in bourbon, vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. Warning: This mixture might overflow, so use a pot that is tall enough, just in case.
10. 10. Pour caramel mixture over bacon and popcorn mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
11. 11. Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet covered in parchment. Bake for 50-minutes, stirring the popcorn every 15-minutes.
12. 12. Remove from oven. Cool for one-hour before noshing.

bacon, kernels, ubc, ubc, brown sugar, maple syrup, ubc, vanilla, salt, ubc, vegetable oil

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/bacon-bourbon-caramel-popcorn-53000551 (may not work)