Caramel Popcorn

This is a great recipe that I got from my old neighbor Rachel Bankhead. It does make a lot so I usually half the recipe.

1 stick butter
1/2 bag brown sugar (about 2 1/3 c)
1 c light caro syrup
1 c sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla
4 bags of microwave popcorn - I use a light kind and it works, I don't think I'd use a heavy butter kind.

melt the butter in a medium sauce pan with the brown sugar and caro syrup. stir pretty constantly until just before it reaches soft ball stage (softball is about 234 degrees). remove from heat and add the condensed milk and vanilla. mix well and pour over the popcorn in a large bowl.

If you are making a whole recipe you may want to split it into two bowls so that it is easier to stir. Also when putting the popcorn into the bowls I like to shake the bag to get all the un-popped kernels at the bottom and then scoop the popcorn out by hand so that the un-popped kernels stay in the bag.