Quacker Jacks ( Cracker Jacks Copycat )

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanuts (without skins)
• 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, plus
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 5 quarts popped corn
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Recipe

• 1 saute the peanuts in 2 tbsp butter or margarine for 5 minutes.
• 2 drain peanuts on paper towels.
• 3 sprinkle with salt to taste.
• 4 spread popped corn in a large shallow baking pan and put into a 250 oven.
• 5 stir the peanuts in gently.
• 6 while this keeps warm in the oven, combine the 2 sticks of butter or margarine with the brown sugar and corn syrup and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan.
• 7 cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
• 8 cook to"firm ball stage"--about 248 degrees on a candy thermometer--and remove from heat at once.
• 9 stir in baking soda, allowing mixture to foam.
• 10 remove popped corn and peanut mixture from oven and drizzle it with the hot foaming syrup in a fine, steady stream.
• 11 stir lightly to mix well.
• 12 return it to oven for almost an hour, stirring mixture about every 10 or 15 minutes.
• 13 cool thoroughly and serve.
• 14 store in an airtight container in a cool place.