Thursday, June 28, 2012


To whom do I owe the thanks to for this delectable rendition of Borden Cracker Jacks, author of Top Secret Recipes, Todd Wilbur, perhaps?   I'm not quite sure...

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I stumbled across this recipe back in October 2000 while shacking up with a dear friend of mine. I scribbled the recipe down into my flour dusted Traveling Cookbook that has been used so much over the years, the pages are falling out.  My husband had left to school for 6-weeks, at Keesler AFB in Mississippi before we reunited again in Anaheim, CA to fly across the ocean and experience life in the sub-tropics of Southeast Asia. 


My friend Adrienne and I enjoyed getting our hands sticky making this scrumptious treat for our daughters.  Afterwards we joined the rest of our friends, Khriss and Peggy, out on the town for an exciting evening of Trick-or-Treat with all of our rambunctious kids! 




CARAMEL CORN
(A clone of Borden Cracker Jacks)
This easy recipe makes an excellent party snack!

Ingredients:
  • 4 quarts Popped Popcorn
  • 1 cup Spanish Peanuts
  • 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) Butter
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
  • ½ cup Light Corn Syrup
  • 2 Tbsp Molasses
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
  2. Combine the popcorn and peanuts in a metal bowl or on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven.
  3. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a saucepan.
  4. Stiring over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Using a cooking thermometer, bring the mixture to the hard-ball stage (260° - 275°F, or the point at which the syrup, when dripped into cold water, forms a hard but pliable ball).  This will take about 20 to 25 minutes (or until you notice the mixture turning a slightly darker brown).
  6. Remove the popcorn and peanuts from the oven, and working quickly, pour the caramel mixture in a fine stream over them.  Then place them back in the oven for 10 minutes.
  7. Mix well every 5 minutes, so that all of the popcorn is coated.
  8. Cool and store in a covered container to preserve freshness.

*Tips /Tricks: So that your Light Corn Syrup and Molasses pours easily out of your measuring tools, lightly coat the inside of your measure tools with cooking oil before measuring the syrups.

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