Instructions: 1) Preheat oven to 250 F. 2. Combine popcorn & peanuts in metal bowl (lge.

roasting pan) and place in preheated oven. 3. Combine all remaining ingreds. in saucepan, and bring to boil over med. heat, stirring constantly until candy thermometer reaches 260 F., abt 20 to 25 min. 4. Remove popcorn & peanuts from oven and, working quickly, pour the caramel mixture in a fine stream over them. Return to oven for 15 min. 5. Mix well every 5 min., so that all of the popcorn is coated evenly. Cool and store airtight to preserve freshness.

Yield: 4 qts.

In 1871 a German immigrant named F.W. Rueckheim came to Chicago with $200 in his pocket. He used all of his money to open a small popcorn shop in the city and started selling a sweet caramel and molasses-coated popcorn confection. Rueckheims big break came in 1893, when the treat was served at Chicagos first worlds fair.

From then on the popcorns popularity grew enormously. In 1896 a salesman tasting the treat for the first time said,

"Thats a cracker jack," and the name stuck. Shortly after Cracker Jacks debut another customer commented, "The more you eat, the more you want," and thats still the slogan today.

In 1912 the Cracker Jack Company started adding toy surprises, ranging from small books to minature metal toy trains. To date they have given away and today the Cracker Jack division is the largest user of popcorn in the world, popping more than 20 tons daily.

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