Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt to taste
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts, optional
Heat oven to its lowest temperature.
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper and set aside.
In a large pot on the stove, pop popcorn, using just enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pot, probably about 2 tablespoons. Transfer popped corn to a large oven-proof bowl. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Place the bowl of popcorn in warm oven.
In a medium saucepot, mix sugar and honey. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, set timer for 3 minutes and continue to stir as mixture bubbles. After 3 minutes, remove pot from heat. Add peanut butter and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Remove warm bowl of popcorn from oven. Pour peanut butter syrup over the popped corn and mix well until all the popcorn is coated. Add peanuts at this time, if desired.
Spread the Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn on two waxed paper-lined baking sheets to cool. Once cool, store the popcorn in a tightly covered bowl or tin.
Tips from the cook
--For this recipe, I use the yellow kernels of unpopped corn, which pop larger than the white variety.
--The warm Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn can be formed into balls. For each ball, use your lightly buttered hands to shape about 1 cup of popcorn mixture. Lollipop sticks can be poked into the warm balls, if desired.