Make Your Own "Moose Munch"

For those of you who aren't familiar with my new favorite treat, Moose Munch is sold at Harry & David stores. It's kind of a decandent take on caramel corn and it is just scrumptious! I came across it a couple holiday seasons ago in the form of a candy bar and then this past holiday season in loose bunches, which is what I'm going to teach you how to make. I can't wait to get my hands on this stuff until the holiday season rolls around every year (plus it's WAY cheaper to make it yourself), so I figured I might as well take a shot at making it at home and creating my own DIY recipe. I've made it several times now and it turns out pretty tasty and very similar to the real thing.

It's great to have on hand at parties or to take with you to say, a Super Bowl get-together, which is what I did with it last night. It was a hit with my friends Lauren & Scott, and it's a fav of my boyfriend as well. It contains such a great mix of salty and sweet and you can never go wrong with dark chocolate! It's definitely a crowd-pleaser. One handful of this sweet delight and you will be hooked, so be careful ;-)

Let's get cookin'!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used light but you can use extra virgin if that's what you have)
1/3 small jar caramel sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans (or your favorite nuts - I've used hazelnuts in the past and they work great as well)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Begin by putting the olive oil in a deep pot on the stove along with the popcorn kernels. Shake the pot a little so that the kernels get coated in the oil.

Place the lid on the pot with a slight space for steam to escape.

Turn the burner on medium heat. Cook until the popping becomes less frequent and then remove from the heat immediately.

While popcorn is popping, line a baking sheet with a sheet of wax paper, as seen below:

Directly after taking the popcorn off the heat, warm the caramel in the microwave for 30 seconds (don't forget to remove the lid first). It should be very liquid-y. Place the popped corn in a large mixing bowl, add the salt and toss. Drizzle the caramel onto the popcorn and stir with a non-stick spoon until all of the popcorn is coated.

Next, spread the caramel-covered popcorn onto the wax paper-lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

During the last ten minutes of cooking time, start melting the chocolate. Dump the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl with a rounded bottom, preferably metal. You're going to create a double boiler by adding one inch of water to a shallow sauce pan...

...and setting the chocolate-filled metal bowl on top of it so that the bottom of the bowl is barely touching the water.

Place this over medium-low heat, stirring the chocolate often to help it melt. The end result should be melted, silky smooth chocolate.

While the chocolate is melting, let's do a little prep work. Cut two sheets of wax paper and lay them, overlapping in the middle, on an empty counter.

The caramel corn should be done cooking by now. Take it out of the oven and transfer it from the baking sheet to the two sheets of wax paper you laid out on the counter, using a spatula to do so.

Add the pecans at this time and mix in with the caramel corn. Then, drizzle the mixture with the melted chocolate, either directly from the bowl or by using a spoon. (No one here will judge you for licking the bowl or spoon when you're done!)

Mix with a non-stick spatula until all the popcorn and nuts are coated. This is a messy endeavor, so just embrace it!

Leave sitting out for about ten minutes. After ten minutes, pick up the wax paper and shake the coated popcorn/nuts into a medium-sized serving bowl.

Put the bowl filled with your homemade Moose Munch into the fridge and let cool for at least one hour so that it can harden into clusters. After one hour is up, enjoy by the handful and don't forget to share!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I am - right now - sitting at my desk eating it as I type! :-)

Salute!