So worth it

I recently found a recipe on a friend's blog for homemade caramel popcorn with cranberries. It looked so beautiful that I decided to make some for Thanksgiving and let me just tell you that it's worth the hour and a half it takes to make (really just half an hour of prep and 1 hour to bake). Oh my goodness. It's baking in my oven as I type and every 15 minutes when I have to pull it out and stir it, I absolutely can't resist eating a few bites. It's delicious! So, if you have some extra time over the holidays (ha!), I highly recommend this delectable little treat!

Here's the recipe:

Caramel Corn with Cranberries

14 cups plain popped popcorn (scant 2/3 cup unpopped kernels)
1 cup honey roasted peanuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cranberries (I use dried)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the popped popcorn and peanuts in two large bowls.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and butter over medium heat. As the butter starts to melt, stir to mix completely. When the mixture begins to boil, stir constantly for five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the baking soda and vanilla extract. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir a couple of times (not all of the popcorn will be coated).

Transfer popcorn mixture to 2 large roasting pans (or pans with edges).

Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the cranberries. After an hour, turn the popcorn out onto parchment paper, break apart, and allow to cool. Try not to eat it all at once!