The Forgotten History of Cracker Jack: 1912 Prize in Every Box

In 1912, Cracker Jack put a prize in every box and turned candy-coated popcorn into an American obsession. Today we make our closest homemade version of that candy-coated popcorn and peanuts, and reveal the forgotten history behind it. Ingredients • 3 quarts popped popcorn • 2 cups salted Spanish Peanuts • 10 tablespoons Butter • 1 ½ cups packed • ½ cup dark corn syrup • ½ teaspoon salt • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract • ½ teaspoon baking soda Instructions 1. Preheat your oven to 250°F. Grease a large roasting pan and place the popped popcorn inside. This will make sure your popcorn is crisp and crunchy. 2. Boil the Toffee: Melt the unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the light brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. 3. Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened (about 3 minutes). 4. Foam and Toss: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda—the mixture will foam up. Quickly add the peanuts to the pot, then pour the hot caramel mixture evenly over the popcorn, tossing thoroughly to coat. 5. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the popcorn turns a deep golden brown and the caramel coating sets. 6. Cool: Allow the popcorn to cool completely to room temperature before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. #ForgottenRecipes #FoodHistory #nostalgia Music Ballgame by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/