Unveiling a New Crunchy Delight: The Launch of Cracky Snacks
Crack open a bag of pure pleasure with your very own homemade take on the legendary Cracky Snack! This finger-licking-good treat, inspired by the iconic Cracker Jack, is a tantalizing blend of molasses-infused caramel and popcorn goodness. Better yet, we've thrown in an easy-to-print cone for that authentic ballpark feel.
Are you ready to get your snack on? Grab the goods and let's dive in!
What's on the shopping list?Don't let the dark, robust molasses intimidate you — it adds a rich, divine touch to our recipe. You can find this absorbing elixir nestled comfortably in your local market's baking aisle.
Want to see our conical creation in action? Check out our Make Your Own Cracky Snack project page for a mind-blowing video demonstration on how to fold up your own cone like a crunchy, sweet pro!
- Yield: 15 lip-smackingly delicious cups
- Difficulty Level: From novice to Nebraska corn whisperer, hop on this easy-going ride
- Total Time: About an hour
Ingredients (9)
- 15 cupfuls of pristine, popped popcorn (approximately 1/2 cup kernels, no leftover freeloaders)
- 3/4 cup peanuts, roasted and salted to tempt taste buds
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed tighter than a pirate's treasure chest
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 equal pieces for easy mixing
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark, bewitching molasses, such as Grandma's Robust
- 3/4 teaspoon almighty salt, rubbed into the dough of flavor
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, to evoke the scent of a breezy ocean breeze
- 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, to create that delightful fizz!
Instructions
- Heat that oven of yours to 250°F (71°C) and slide a rack right into the middle. Give your large roasting pan a good butter bath. Combine the irresistible symphony of popcorn and peanuts in the pan and give 'em a good ol' fashioned stir.
- In a medium saucepan designed for the task, stir together the dark brown sugar, measured pieces of butter, corn syrup, molasses, and the mighty salt over medium heat. Cook and stir occasionally until you can no longer feel the grains of sugar, a process that should take about 5 minutes to complete. Keep the heat on and don't stir anymore, designing a dark, bubbling pool of golden magical deliciousness for about 3 minutes. Time to take it off the heat!
- Whirl in the vanilla extract and baking soda, and whisk like a madman until the caramel turns light as a feather, doubling in volume. I call this step "the Pavlova Prance." (That's a French pastry — Google it if you need to!)
- Each drizzle, drop, or toss Catherine the Great would love! Pour the risen, airy caramel over the popcorn mixture, ensuring every kernel and nut squirrel is covered. Swirl and stir until everything is coated with caramel sweetness.
- Time to dance with the Devil himself! Stick the caramel-coated taunt into the oven, stirring with your trusty spatula every 15 minutes, scraping up the caramel trapped at the bottom. Keep at it until one of your tasty test-bits has turned into a crunchy, glorious, aged beauty. (Allow 30 seconds for cooling before testing, just to be on the safe side!)
- Set sail for a work surface or rimmed baking sheet and let the Cracky Snack come to a complete, sweet stop. Wrap it up like a gift to the gods and store it in an airtight container for up to an entire week at room temperature.
Forewarned: You won't want to share this treasure with peg legs or landlubbers!
- In the shopping list, don't let the dark, robust molasses such as Grandma's Robust intimidate you; it adds a rich, divine touch to our homemade Cracky Snack recipe and can be found in the baking aisle of your local market.
- For a video demonstration on how to fold up your own conical creation like a crunchy, sweet pro, visit our Make Your Own Cracky Snack project page.
- The homemade Cracky Snack recipe yields 15 lip-smackingly delicious cups and follows an easy-going ride from novice to Nebraska corn whisperer.
- With nutritional benefits and uncategorized delights, the total time to prepare this finger-licking-good treat, inspired by the iconic Cracker Jack, is about an hour.
