Salted Caramel Corn with Pecans and Dark chocolate

About 16 cups popped popcorn (about 3/4 - 1 cup unpopped)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
6 TB corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 - 1 cup toasted chopped pecans (I toast my pecans by just putting them in a non-stick skillet and tossing them over high heat for a few mins. be careful not to burn them though!!)
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 cups ghiradelli dark chocolate melting wafers

Place popcorn in a large baking pan (I use my turkey pan). Keep popcorn warm in oven set to 300 while making caramel mixture.

In a 3qt saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Attach candy thermometer. Cook and stir over medium heat to hard ball stage (255 degrees). Remove from heat, stir in soda and vanilla; pour over popcorn. Stir gently while sprinkling in the pecans and sea salt. Once coated, bake in oven for 15 minutes; stir. Bake and additional 10 minutes or so.

Transfer popcorn mixture to large piece of foil, wax paper, or parchment (I tape a few pieces to the counter). Spread it out, breaking apart the big pieces and let it cool while you melt the chocolate. Drizzle with chocolate. Once cool, break it up and store in air-tight container (ziploc bags are fine).

**This recipe makes a LOT because I make it for my large family. Definitely can be halved and probably should be if you're watching your waistline.