Valentine's Popcorn

I love how holidays give me an excuse to get in the kitchen and bake. No matter how big or how small, I love celebrating special days with sweet treats, and even more so when I have the opportunity to play around and experiment with different flavor combinations. This popcorn recipe evolved in my mind over the course of a few days, and after a little trial and error, the end result is absolutely fantastic, if I do say so myself. :)

I have really been on a big York Peppermint Patty kick lately... the balance of dark chocolate and minty creaminess is just absolute perfection to my palate right now. (No- I am NOT pregnant... for those of you whose mind automatically goes in that direction with the slightest mention of cravings, no matter how obscure the reference may be! I feel the need to make this disclaimer, as I have already been asked by my dear aunt...) I knew I wanted to incorporate these somehow, and my initial thought was to melt them. That, however, absolutely did not work. The mint patties reacted in a way similar to marshmallows when I put them in the microwave- they ballooned up to five times their normal size. Needless to say, they did not melt well and there was no way I could have poured the end product over the popcorn successfully.

After some more debate, I finally decided that to include the York patties I would simply chop them up and toss the pieces together with the popcorn. The ingredients I chose to include in this concoction are really some of my all-time favorite things ever: three different kinds of chocolate, M&Ms, Oreo cookies, and the thoroughly-discussed peppermint patties. Seriously... what's not to love?

If your children want to take treats to school or daycare, or if you are a nerd like me and still give Valentine treats to all your friends and coworkers, this popcorn is perfect to share! It all came together in less than 10 minutes (minus cooling time, of course), and it was super simple. It would be adorable to package in individual treat bags, tied up nicely with some pretty ribbon. You can also head over to Our Best Bites and check out their fun and festive printables. They have some that would be perfect with a popcorn treat just like this one!

Here is what you will need:


Valentine's Popcorn
- 1 full-sized bag microwave kettle corn, popped with old maids removed
- 6 miniature York Peppermint Patties, cut into small pieces
- 6 Oreo cookies, broken into small chunks
- 1/2 cup Valentine's edition M&Ms
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp. vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

After popcorn is popped, place in a shallow roasting pan or a very large bowl that will allow for easy stirring. Cut up peppermint patties and break up cookies. Toss the peppermint patties, cookie pieces, and M&M's in with the popcorn.

Place the dark chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl with the 1/4 tsp. vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted. Pour melted chocolate over the popcorn mixture and stir well to evenly coat.

After this is done, place the white chocolate chips in a baggie. Microwave in 30-second increments, squeezing the chocolate after each, until chocolate is melted. Cut the corner off the baggie and drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn lightly.

Let cool and set up, then store in an airtight container.

Colorful, fun, and full of complimentary texture and flavor combinations! 

Share some love this year and give those important to you a delicious treat, whether it's for Valentine's Day or some random Tuesday down the road when everyone least expects it. Pay it forward. Spread some smiles and happiness- they are, after all, contagious, and what goes around comes around! 

PS - If anyone comes up with a better, more creative name for this, that would be super! My mind was not in that mode apparently.... :) 

ENJOY!