Homemade Cracker Jack

• porții: 16 cups
• timp total: 45 min plus cooling

Ingrediente

3 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for greasing the pans

½ cup Belden Barns popcorn

1 cup roasted, salted red-skinned peanuts (Strictly optional - it tastes great without the nuts, too.)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

1 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Instrucțiuni

Heat oven to 250 degrees and grease two large rimmed baking sheets with neutral oil.

Pop the popcorn: Add 3 tablespoons of oil and 3 kernels to a large pot. Cover and heat over medium. Once you hear those first kernels pop, add the remaining kernels, cover and cook, shaking occasionally, until the popping slows down, about 4 to 6 minutes. You should hear a few seconds of silence between pops. Remove from heat.

Transfer the popcorn to a large, heatproof bowl and discard any unpopped kernels. (This is important. There should hardly be any unpopped kernels but it’s important to check. You don’t want to bite down on caramel deliciousness and hurt your tooth!) If you’re using peanuts, pour them right on top of the popcorn. Set the vanilla and baking soda near the stove for easy access.

In a small saucepan, stir the butter, brown sugar, molasses and salt over medium until the butter melts. Once the butter has melted, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and cook the mixture, undisturbed, until the temperature reaches 248 degrees.

Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will become foamy. Immediately pour it over the popcorn and use a wooden spoon to coat it evenly.

Spread the popcorn out onto the two prepared baking sheets. Bake until the mixture is dry, about 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with a bit more salt, to taste. Let the popcorn cool completely before eating. Best enjoyed the day it’s made, though it will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Note

It has been many years since we’ve tasted the salty-sweet caramel-coated popcorn famously enjoyed at baseball games, so it’s hard to know how this homemade recipe compares to the flavor of the original. But man, this version is GOOD!

NOTE: You’ll need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

From Samantha Seneviratne of the New York Times