The other night I had a serious craving for a snack that was sweet and salty. I thought about baking but I just couldn’t muster the energy to actually get off the couch and whip, beat and mix anything in a bowl!
So my next thought was popcorn - not the regular kind, but the most deliciously sweet, salty, sticky and crunchy caramelised popcorn. I aptly named this creation: sea salt and caramel popcorn.
The combination of dark, rich vanilla-scented caramel with a hint of saltiness was the perfect answer to my lazy cravings. It was ridiculously simple to make and even easier to eat!
sea salt and caramel popcorn
70g (about 1/3 cup popcorn kernels)
50g sugar
1/2 honey
80ml water
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 ml (1/2 tbsp) cream (you don’t need this but it adds a softness to the caramel)
1 tsp sea salt
First line a baking sheet with baking paper. Make popcorn – I used an air popper but you can also use a stovetop method. Keep popcorn in a large bowl. For the caramel, place a small pot on medium heat. Add sugar, honey, water*, butter and vanilla and stir until sugar dissolves – let it come to the boil (don’t stir) and cook until golden/caramel coloured. Add in cream and cook until thick. Take off heat and add sea salt. Pour caramel over popcorn – mix through and place onto baking sheet.
The popcorn will keep for a few days in a sealed container but I didn’t have any left to keep!
Note: I used a small amount of caramel – my main reason for this is that I wanted to indulge but not overindulge.
*not all caramels use water but I used it instead of using more butter.
