Al Roker’s Spicy Cracker Jacks

When I was a kid, my dad, Uncle Champ (my mother’s brother), and I took the subway up to Yankee Stadium for baseball games. I’d settle in my seat and make preparations for the game. That entailed getting myself a hot dog, a Coke, and finally Cracker Jack—the only snack food that came with a prize. Looking at the food piled in my lap, my uncle asked, “Did you come here to watch baseball or to eat?”

Stupid question! No one peddles Cracker Jack when I’m watching the Yankees on TV. I’m here for the snacks! This version is just a bit grown-up, thanks to a dash of cayenne.

Note from Uncle Al: You’ll need a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer for this one. Also, you need to work fast after you make the caramel and immediately pour it onto the popcorn. If it cools, it will solidify in the pan.

Read our interview with Al Roker here, and get the recipes for his potato salad and bourbon apple pie milkshake.

Ingredients

Spicy Cracker Jacks

1 (3-oz. bag) microwave popcorn with butter
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup dark corn syrup
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 250°F, with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the popcorn according to the package directions. Stir together the popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt and stir until melted. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes a dark caramel color and the temperature reads 250°F on a candy thermometer, 5 to 6 minutes. Watch carefully!

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the vanilla and baking soda, stirring constantly (the mixture will spatter). Stir in the cayenne. Immediately pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and peanuts and gently toss with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the popcorn is coated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and, using a silicone spatula, gently press the mixture into an even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the caramel has hardened.

Let cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

The cover of Al Roker's Recipes to Live By

Excerpted from the book Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion by Al Roker and Courtney Roker Laga. Copyright © 2024 by Al Roker. Reprinted with permission of Legacy Lit, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

Garden & Gun has an affiliate partnership with bookshop.org and may receive a portion of sales when a reader clicks to buy a book.