Dear Dora

I just love a man in a uniform, don’t you?

Take me out to the ball game!

Do you remember eating those sweet treats when you were small? Of course you don’t. The intervening years have destroyed the brain cells, haven’t they? But, you loved them, I’m sure you did. The sight of Sailor Jack and Bingo on a box of Cracker Jack on the shelf at the grocery store had you salivating and begging your mother for some change.

One of my Dear Readers wrote to me and said:

Dear Dora,
My small children love to help me in the kitchen. I don’t trust them with knives, but I want them to learn to help. Can you suggest a recipe that we can enjoy making as a family?
Signed,
Mother of Six

Dear Crazy Mom,
Isn’t that …special. Cooking with the children. Of course I can suggest a recipe. I’ll share it with you all.

If you have rug rats small children, you might enjoy mixing up a delightful homemade version of Cracker Jacks. It’s a very simple recipe.

I think.

I’ve never actually tried it, because I have a cook to do that. I’ve certainly never cooked with my children, because the nanny kept them occupied.

I found this treat in a cookbook called “Der Kuchenfunk.” That’s not a dirty word; it’s German. I think it means something like “Cookery Talk,” but don’t get me lying.

Here are the ingredients for Mom’s Cracker Jacks (no, I don’t know whose mom):

3 Tbsp. of molasses
1Tbsp. butter
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c. water
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
popped popcorn (Of course, you pop it first. Does the person who wrote this recipe think I’m an idiot?)
peanuts (optional)

In a saucepan (which is one of those little round ones), mix together the molasses, butter, sugar, water, salt and vinegar. Bring it to a boil and cook it until the mixture spins a thread when dropped from a spoon (Spins a thread? How handy is that?). Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla; then the soda. Pour it over the popcorn. You can make popcorn balls or just tear it apart.

Now, keep in mind that there won’t be any toys in this mixture. But, don’t fret. The little ones will probably get this mixture all over the toys.

I hope you have a good dentist.

Kiss, Kiss,
Dora

Tags: What's Cooking? //