Chai caramel popcorn recipe

A sticky-sweet and spicy popcorn recipe came up on my blog feed a long time ago and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Oliver and I love to pop up a batch of heirloom kernels with coconut oil and sea salt but this special treat deserves a place in our snack rotation. 

A splash of oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels 

1 cup butter or vegan margarine 

2 cups raw sugar

1/2 cup ginger syrup (we use a delicious organic one from the ginger people company; alternatively you could use maple syrup, gmo-free corn syrup or make your own homemade ginger syrup by boiling 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar and a knob of ginger cut in small cubes)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves 

You could also add black tea leaves and black pepper to be more authentic 

Salt

Heat the kernels in the oil until they are all popped. Lay them on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 200 F. 

Make the caramel: boil the butter, sugar and syrup for 4 minutes. Take off the heat and add the baking soda, spices and salt. Pour over the popcorn. Toss, carefully. 

Bake for 10 minutes then toss. Repeat another two times. 

Let cool and then place in a bowl to serve.