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Homemade Cracker Jacks

Homemade Cracker Jacks

Sweet and salty, you'll never go back to the cardboard boxed version!
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Course Snack

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups cooked popcorn *You can make popcorn on the stovetop, in a microwave or buy microwaveable popcorn.
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark molasses
  • 1 Tbsp. corn oil
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 1 cup Spanish peanuts (salted)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat oven to 200ºF.
  • 2. Spread popcorn into a 9” x 12” pan. Sprinkle peanuts on top of popcorn. Set pan aside.
  • 3. Place sugar, dark corn syrup, molasses, corn oil, water and salt in a heavy saucepan and mix.
  • 4. Turn heat on simmer and stir almost continuously with a wooden spoon. Sugar will melt and mixture will turn into a liquid. Cook, stirring almost continuously, until the mixture is uniform and caramelized in color, syrupy and begins to show small bubbles. Remove from heat before it boils.
  • 5. Drizzle evenly sauce over popcorn and peanut mixture.
  • 6. Place pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes while cooking.
  • 7. Remove from heat, cool and enjoy!

Notes

* Microwave popcorn - Pop popcorn in the microwave by adding ¼ cup kernels to a large brown paper bag (or microwave safe bowl covered with plastic wrap). Fold the top of the bag over 3 times. Cook on high until popping slows.