You can probably guess what I love most about the two new seasons upon us {fall and football of course.} The food. Fall is my favorite time of year for baking. I tend to go a little pumpkin crazy. And football season, well it just gives me an excuse to get together with friends, make more food, and eat myself sick just about every Saturday (or whatever day the game we’re watching falls on).
The only bad thing about both– they will inevitably result in me spending more time on the treadmill. Sigh.
For the first two years of our marriage, Brett played football for BYU. I was already graduated and working (he married a suga’ mama) and couldn’t travel to all the away games. But my friends and I always threw a party to watch them and always made more food than we could eat.
Between my friend Traci and SIL Kim, one of them always made a fresh batch of caramel corn. I don’t think that caramel corn ever saw the end of the first quarter. It was the most addicting thing I’d ever eaten….
Until I tasted this gooey vanilla bean popcorn. I think my initial reaction was something like “What the what?.” And then I couldn’t put it down. It’s gooey and sticky and messy. And buttery, and sweet. And very vanilla-y (?). It’s everything I love about that gooey caramel corn, but it’s just different. The vanilla bean is what gets me.
I apologize now for any of you (us) that eat the entire bowl. It’s so terribly addicting.
Gooey Vanilla Bean Popcorn
Ingredients
7-8 cups popped popcorn (1/4 cup of kernels, popped)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Place popped popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
Place sugar, butter, corn syrup and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar is dissolved and just starts to boil.
Pour vanilla mixture over popcorn and gently toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.
***I definitely recommend using vanilla bean paste if you can get your hands on it, but vanilla extract will do too.
***If you decide to go with this for a football party and you aren’t a fan of eating out of the same sticky, finger-licking infested bowl as everyone else, scoop the popcorn into cupcake liners for individual servings.
source: Linley Hutchinson
Yum! I will be making this tomorrow for the big game with my vanilla bean paste! I can’t wait! Go Cougars!!!
oh yum yum yum, this looks perfect for football this weekend. I must try….with my own bowl of course. No foreign slobber for me…ick.
This sounds amazing! I’ll have to look for vanilla bean paste.
DANGER. Ohhhh boy…caramel corn just happens to be one of my FAVORITE things in the world. This looks unreal!
I looked for the vanilla bean paste. I couldn’t find it. Where can I buy it in Utah County?
Do you have a Trader Joes there? That’s where I found it in Arizona.
@ Tasha- I think they have some at the William Sonoma down in the Riverwoods. But I’ve always ordered mine through Amazon. I buy Lorann Oils Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste.
Oh goodness! Popcorn rocks my world! This is a must try! I love the idea of putting them into cupcake liners for individual servings!
Thank you for the post!
Kara 🙂
http://lovehomebird.blogspot.com/
This sounds yummy! I’m a vanilla lover and have been since I was a little kid. Heck, I even wear vanilla perfume! I’m going to have to make this. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
This sounds yummy! I’m a vanilla lover and have been since I was a little kid. Heck, I even wear vanilla perfume! I’m going to have to make this. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
my mom LOVES vanilla popcorn and we have been searching for a recipe for years for this. i can’t wait to make this!
I LOVED this recipe so much I featured you here:
http://raisingyourrainbows.blogspot.com/2012/08/after-school-snacks.html
Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you!! Glad you liked it!
Do you have to eat this right away? Im looking to do some pre-christmas baking and need a good popcorn recipe … and this one looks delish! Heres a weird one … Can it be frozen??