This is a recipe for caramel popcorn, very similar to Cracker Jack. By the case, this snack will set you back over $9/lb. But if you have the time and patience, it’s a small fraction of that.

1/2 cup butter (this is 1/4lb stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 quarts popped popcorn (I microwave it in a lunch bag, no oil)

Start by melting the butter over low heat, add brown sugar, and corn syrup, stir until it boils, then simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the flame, add the baking soda and vanilla, then pour over the popcorn in a big metal bowl. Bake for 1 hour at 250F, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Tell me if this doesn’t taste like the real thing. (I know, I missed the peanuts. Add them if you like!)

written by admin \\ tags: cracker jack, popcorn, snack

This is a recipe for sugar coated nuts. When visiting New York City we’d pass vendors with a pan over an open flame making these nut fresh. After a bit of searching and a conversation with one vendor, we are now making this classic snack at home. They sell these for two or three dollars a bag, and when the vendor saw me staring at his pan after the sale he asked if I needed something. I gave him another $5, told him I was from out of town and asked him to tell me the secret. Ready? A copper pan and a wooden spoon.

2 Tbl water
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cup nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews)

Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low flame in the copper pan. Add the nuts, stirring continuously until the water evaporates.

Once the water has evaporated, keep stirring. The sugar will start to melt and then caramelize. Low heat and patience. Keep going until the nuts are all coated in the caramelized sugar but be sure not to let it burn.

These are a great snack to serve at a party and few people will believe you made these yourself.

Now that you know the secret, why not try making these at home? Let us know if they were a hit.

written by admin \\ tags: almonds, cashews, nuts, nuts-4-nuts, peanuts