Constitutional Cooking: The Best Kind of Corniness

First off, many kudos to EK for reviving the postings - it had been far too long. I, too, have been engaged in non-cooking pursuits, but now I'm back, thanks to an impending visit from my manfriend, RJM. He loves caramel corn and was lucky enough to grow up eating a delicious homemade version courtesy of his mother, hands down the best cook I've ever met. But her intricate recipe is way too taxing for me and my zero-counter space/poorly-equipped kitchen. So, I went on the hunt for an easier caramel corn recipe and found this one in this month's issue of Food & Wine magazine. I've tweaked it a bit, so I don't feel at all ashamed in calling it Ann's Nutty Caramel Corn. Give it a shot - it's easy and delicious.

12 cups unsalted popped popcorn (from 1 microwave bag)
1 cup salted pecan halves, broken up a bit with your hands (NOTE: This past time, I used a mix of pecans, cashews, and macadamia nuts; but I think only pecans might be best)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray. Put the popcorn and nuts in a large bowl.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt and bring to a boil. Add the baking soda and cream of tartar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is deep amber, about 4 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the nuts and popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly coated. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake until slightly dry, about 1 hour. The caramel corn will harden as it cools; let it cool completely.

3. Invert the caramel corn onto a cutting board and break into chunks for serving.