Cinnamon Coconut Caramel Corn

Soooooooooo, I’m typing this post with sticky fingers. Seriously! #icannotstopeatingthisstuff I made a “warm-up batch” for practice yesterday, using butter & brown sugar. I even wrote a blog about it and posted it here. But this morning I decided to #kickitupanotch and improve upon my recipe.This month’s Improv Challenge ingredients decreed by Kristen were cinnamon & sugar. I can’t wait to see what all the other participants did! (Check out their links at the end of my post…)
I elected to go with air-popped instead of kettle-popped corn. I also decided to use the jug of Orville Redenbacher kernels that was in my pantry.
I popped the two batches of corn into a giant bowl then shook it to settle the “old maids” down to the bottom. (there weren’t but a few…)I spread the coconut out in my lasagna pan. I gently placed the popcorn on top of that to await its warm caramel bath. I preheated the oven to 250°.I readied my cinnamon, salt & baking soda. (Once the sugar syrup reaches temperature, there’s no time for measuring ingredients…)In a large saucepan I stirred together my wonderful coconut oil, the sugar, sour cream and corn syrup. (If you want to make this vegan, replace the sour cream with coconut milk or cream. The sugar won’t dissolve in the oil don’t ask me how I know.)I cooked it over medium heat until my candy thermometer said 235°,then I removed it from the heat and carefully stirred in the cinnamon, salt & soda.
I poured it and gently spread it over the popcorn and coconut waiting in the pan.Into the oven it went for 15 minutes. Then the mixture was stirred (careful not to break the corn) and returned to the oven. I repeated this 3 more times for an hour.
Finally I dumped it all out onto a freezer paper-covered cutting board.I tried to let it cool some before snitching kernels for tasting, but…My husband calls it “crack” and my boys almost devoured the entire batch when they got home from school.I highly recommend it!