1. Preheat your oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup, stirring until the mixture starts to boil. Continue boiling for about 5 minutes without stirring.
3. Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and gently toss until the popcorn is evenly coated.
5. Spread the coated popcorn on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
6. Once done, remove from the oven and let the caramel popcorn cool completely.
7. While the popcorn cools, let the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
8. To assemble, scoop a generous amount of ice cream on one piece of caramel popcorn and top with another to create a sandwich. Repeat until you’ve used all the popcorn.
9. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm.

Remember, patience is key here, just like when I learned to make tortillas with my abuela. Letting the caramel set and the sandwiches freeze properly will ensure that perfect bite every time.