Fall is here guys. Leaves…to rake, squash, painted pumpkins, The Walking Dead (!!!), Halloween and of course, caramel. To me, caramel is one of the most important fall flavors. It’s just wonderful. What’s not to like? A fun little snack to make is caramel corn. But, you know we have to add a twist. We’re making grown up or “adult” caramel corn by adding Hella Bitters Aromatic Bitters. The cinnamon, clove and Jamaican allspice notes work perfectly with caramel, pecans and of course, homemade popcorn. I would suggest that you make this as a treat for the kiddies but, you’ll probably want to keep this for yourself. Movie night just got 10 times better!

You’ll need butter. Lot’s of butter!

Aromatic Caramel Corn:

1/2 Cup Popcorn Kernels

1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Sticks Butter (I don’t mind using Salted here. Use Unsalted if you’d like)

1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup + 2 Tablespoons

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

3 Teaspoons Hella Bitters Aromatic Bitters

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2-1 Cup Chopped Pecans (Or your favorite nut)

Start by popping your corn. Follow your label instructions for best results. Chop your pecans and we can start the caramel. Heat your oven to 250° and coat a large baking dish with butter or nonstick foil. Add the popcorn and chopped pecans and set the dish to the side.

Over medium heat, add the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt to a saucepan. Bring these ingredients to a boil and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Reduce heat slightly and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the Aromatic Bitters, vanilla, cinnamon and baking soda. Whisk for about 15 seconds until there’s a light foam. Immediately add the caramel to the popcorn and pecans, mixing thoroughly to coat and spread the popcorn into an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, turning the popcorn over every 15 minutes. After baking, let the popcorn cool completely before breaking into individual crunchy bites.