Microwave Caramel Corn

2 bags of popped microwave popcorn (Act II is great)
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C margarine or butter (butter is better, of course)
1/4 C light corn syrup or honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the popped porcorn into a large bowl and set aside.  In a 2 qt. heat-proof glass dish, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla.  Heat for 2 minutes in the micro*, then take out and stir well.  Put it back in and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove from micro and stir in the baking soda. (Don't skip this step!)

Pour the syrup over the popcorn and mix well.  Spray a brown paper bag with non-stick spray, and pour the popcorn mixture in.  Turn the top down a couple of times to close the bag. (I did this in a regular sized grocery bag but I cut off the top and had to crumple it to make it fit the turntable in the microwave.) Place in micro and cook for one minute.  Remove, shake, flip the bag over, and return it to the micro.  Cook one minute more. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper to cool untl the caramel is set.  Store in an airtight container, if you get that far.

You can half this recipe easily and use just one bag of popcorn, but why would you want to?  And you could add pecans and drizzle the finished product with chocolate...   For more super easy, wonderful-good treats, visit Cooking With the Preacher's Wife.