Caramel Popcorn

To make good popcorn, heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a covered pan with four or five kernels until the kernels start to pop. Immediately add 1/3 cup popcorn and cover again. Shake the pan frequently to prevent burning. I did this twice and not a single kernel remained unpopped either time.

While the popcorn is popping, melt 1/4 stick butter in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar (or maple syrup) and 1/4 tsp salt and boil for about 10 minutes. Throw a couple of handfuls of salted peanuts in with the popcorn and then drizzle the caramel over while stirring.

When I made this I had the proportions wrong -- too much butter and too little sugar. The result was good, in a greasy sort of way, but it wasn't very sweet and it seemed excessively buttery. It didn't need to be much sweeter, but less butter next time will be nice.