Why Put Popcorn in Your Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Why Put Popcorn in Your Chocolate Chip Cookies?

3 Reasons You Need to Try Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies TODAY (Plus Recipe)

1.  It makes the perfect movie night snack! 

You've found it: the perfect excuse to get your closest friends and family together for a movie night!  Popcorn chocolate-chip cookies make the perfect all-in-one get-together snack, when you want the sweet and salty goodies to just stay in one place (not all over the couch).  Throw some bright-shelled chocolate candies in there too and you'll have all the crunchy stuff they'll love in one bite!

Plus, then it'll be harder to eat the whole bowl full of popcorn before you even start the movie.

2.  Popcorn breaks up sickly-sweet cookie monotony, nut-free! 

Looking for a lighter take on nutty cookie buddies like these?  Popcorn adds the perfect light crunch to cookies, without any of the super-richness or fattiness!

Whether you're serving someone with a nut allergy or just sick of the same old chocolate-walnut combo, popcorn will add a delicious element of salt, savor, and texture while also bringing a one-of-a-kind, crisp snackability to your treats!

3.  Corny pairings can help you identify the toasted grain notes in fine chocolate!  

Many different varieties of craft chocolate have some sort of subtle toasted grain flavor.  From hints of toasted bread to wafer cookies to a starchy, vegetal sweetness reminiscent of toasted corn, there's a lot to enjoy that's often overlooked!  What better to bring that out than by matching corresponding compounds to emphasize the warm, slightly-starchy toastiness deep in the heart of wholesome craft chocolate?

 

See for yourself using the recipe below!

 

Recipe

Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Adapted from a recipe in “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” by Deb Perelman)


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
¼ cup (45 g) popcorn kernels
¼ teaspoon flake salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
½ cup (115 g or 1 stick) butter, softened
⅓ cup (65 g) light brown sugar
⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 oz (113 g) of Mindo Chocolate Makers' 67% or 77% Dark Chocolate Chunks


INSTRUCTIONS


1. Make popcorn: Pour vegetable oil over the bottom of a large saucepan and add your popcorn kernels, shimmying the pan so they settle in one layer.  Cover the pot and heat over medium-high heat.  Once the kernels have begun to pop, keep the saucepan moving until all have popped – about 5 to 7 minutes total.  Toss the flake salt and melted butter over the popcorn, then transfer into a bowl to fish out any unpopped kernels. You should now have about 4 to 4 ½ cups of popcorn.  Let cool.


2. Mix dough: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together. Stir your combined dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Fold in the cooled popcorn and Mindo Chocolate Makers' Dark Chocolate Chunks so that they are evenly distributed through the batter (which seems like a ridiculous instruction because there are so many additions and so little cookie batter, but it works!). Don’t worry if the popcorn or chocolate break up a bit – the mixed-up pieces are part of the cookies' charm.

 

3. Bake cookies: Scoop heaping-tablespoon-sized mounds 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light brown. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack.  Pop them on a serving plate and enjoy!

 


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