Brown-Butter Maple Popcorn with Pecans

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 cups pecans, lightly crushed
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped

Directions

Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter, stirring and tilting the pan now and then, until the foam dies back and the milk solids deepen to chestnut brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup. Add the pecans and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture becomes a caramel and grows thick enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a momentary path, about 4 minutes. Add salt to taste. Put the popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl, then drizzle the pecan caramel over it while tossing, until the popcorn is coated throughout. Taste and add more salt if needed. Chill the popcorn until the caramel firms up, about 10 minutes. Toss it to separate any clusters, then serve. Popcorn can be refrigerated in a zipper-lock bag overnight.