Homemade Cracker Jacks

Homemade Cracker Jacks
(makes 8 cups)

Ingredients:
8 cups popped popcorn, hard little bits removed
(my popcorn maker will make 8 cups popped from 1/2 cup kernels)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups pecans (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250F.

2. Pop your corn and put in a big bowl.

3. Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat.

4. Add the sugar, syrup and salt. Stir constantly until the mixture boils.

5. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. (watch the mixture "poof" when you add the vanilla!)

6. Pour gently into the bowl of popcorn and mix well (it's hot!!! I learned the hard way!!!)

7. Add the pecans, mix well and spread onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Put into oven, one on the top row, one on the bottom row.

8. Bake total 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, move the popcorn around and turn the baking sheets, alternating top and bottom rows and turning the pans from front to back.

Notes: The original recipe (found online) called for corn syrup instead of maple syrup and peanuts instead of pecans.