Buckeye Caramel Corn

20 cups

Ingredients

• 20 cups popped popcorn, (about 2 bags of microwave popcorn)
• 2.5 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts
• 2 cups peanut butter chips
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Place popcorn in a large bowl.
2. For the caramel, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 3 minutes without stirring. Remove pan from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Pour over popcorn and mix to combine.
3. Spread popcorn evenly into the prepared pans. Bake at 250 degrees F for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Break into pieces and stir in honey roasted peanuts.
4. Combine peanut butter chips with vegetable shortening in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle over popcorn and toss to combine. Melt the semisweet chips in the same manner (no shortening this time), and transfer to a ziploc bag. Snip a corner off the bag and drizzle over popcorn.
5. Place pans in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened. Break into small pieces. Store in airtight container.