Sweet and Spicy Caramel Corn
Photography by Aaron McLean.

It’s hard to stop eating this addictive popcorn – sweet, salty and spicy it cries out for a nice cold beer.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup popping corn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ground chilli
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
150 grams butter
¾ cup caster sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the corn and put the lid on.
Cook until the corn stops popping, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent it catching on the base. Tip into a large bowl, discarding any unpopped corn. Wipe out the saucepan.
Combine the cayenne or chilli, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in the saucepan over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar is melted. Cook over a low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly until it turns a couple of shades darker to a golden caramel.
Remove from the heat and stir in the spice mixture. It will bubble up a little.
Tip in the popcorn and use a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to stir until it’s all well coated in the caramel. Tip onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out to cool.
Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes about 10 cups
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Issue #103
Winter is on its way but rather than batten down the hatches, we're ready to have some fun with the latest issue of dish! Get your soup bowls out, we've got all the soul warming deliciousness you can handle, plus outrageously good toasties for a cheesy bit of fun on the side. Next, it's time to hit the road with an epic escape to Black Barn Retreat and some classic comfort food. Back home, there's plenty of sumptuous bakes to tempt you with and even more to tempt your guests in our latest Dinner for Six section. And be prepared for time to really fly by when you're having fun with our Food Fast section!