The Old-School Dessert You Can Make With Circus Peanut Candies
You've probably seen and been baffled by them in the grocery store. Fortunately for adventurous candy lovers, circus peanuts — not to be confused with actual legumes — aren't going away anytime soon. For the uninitiated, circus peanuts are a soft, marshmallow-like candy made with sugar (of course), gelatin, corn syrup, pectin, and different artificial flavors and food colorings. They come in various flavors, including banana, lemon, vanilla, and cherry, though the mysteriously orange-colored, banana-flavored variety is the best seller by far.
This hotly debated candy isn't a new invention. Apparently, it's an old "penny candy," and has been around since the 19th century. Jon Prince, owner of candy retailer CandyFavorites.com, said on his website, "There are few candies that actually have survived as long as circus peanuts. It's not so much candy as it's Americana." If you're one of the few fans of this weird candy, we've got the perfect 1970s recipe for you to try: Circus Peanut Salad. It's one of those wacky vintage desserts we can't believe existed, but it's totally worth a try, even if you're not a diehard circus peanut fan.
What is Circus Peanut Salad?
You won't be seeing any lettuce in this recipe. It's more akin to a retro Jell-O salad, which represented wealth and status back in the 19th century and became a mainstay of 1970s American dinner tables. To make, you'll need 30 or so circus peanuts. Cut them up and put them into a bowl with boiling water.
Just a heads up: the water alone isn't enough to make them dissolve. You're better off microwaving them alongside the water. Once that's done, dissolve the leftover gelatin in what's left of the boiling water. Then, either pour the mixture into a mold or keep it in the bowl. You can top your creation with a basic homemade whipped cream and/or pineapple slices. Alternatively, you could chop up pineapples and mix them throughout the "salad" itself, if you like textured desserts. Then, pop your salad in the fridge to chill. It should be firm in a few hours.