.popcorn + dark chocolate cookies.

popcorn in a cookie? (insert dramatic music build-up)
yes, these cookies have golden globe nominee written all over them; along with popcorn and dark chocolate all in them.



in even better news? these are low calorie. see? two kinds of sugar, that is less calories than three kinds of sugar.



cream your butter with brown and white sugar. then, beat in egg and vanilla extract. finish up your batter with the addition of flour, baking soda and salt.



instead of chips, i went with chunks of dark chocolate. trying to resist popping them directly into my mouth instead of into the batter is challenging. (go ahead and preheat your oven to 350.)



taking the easy route is sometimes, well, easiest. i've never made popcorn any other way than with the microwave and i was not going to change that for this cookie.



if you want to take the easy route as well, microwave a bag of buttered popcorn and use half of it in this recipe. be careful to run it through your hands while adding it to the batter to avoid getting any unpopped kernels in the cookies. you would not want to break a tooth or a friendship over this.



with a spatula, fold in your popcorn to the batter. some pops/corns/popcorns/fluffy pieces may get a little crushed and that is a. ok.



lastly, fold in your dark chocolate. ahhh. if you're a popcorn fan, go ahead and snack on the other half you're not using in the cookies. this may sound strange, but i am not a huge fan UNLESS i am sitting in front of a giant movie screen.



scoop out cookie balls on your prepared baking sheet. bake 10-13 minutes. mine only took 10 so keep your eye out. don't literally take it out though unless you want a painful appointment with my eye guy. i digress...



wait! don't forget to sprinkle them with sea salt before popping them in the oven. or, you could be like me and forget with each batch and have to take them out after 2 minutes, sprinkle, and put back in.



ok, they're done. i have never been so hesitant in my life to put a dessert in my mouth. i so wanted them to be good, but was worried the popcorn would be too chewy.



guess what! these bad boys are yummo! while the popcorn is a wee chewy in each bite, it is pretty darn cool to have this salty sweet combo wrapped in one precious cookie. when chatting with some of my taste testing friends, we thought m & m's might be a fun add in if making these with kids (or those who are kids at heart).



encore! encore!



popcorn + dark chocolate cookies
adapted from joy the baker

what you need
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 bag microwave buttered popcorn (pop it!)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

what to do
let's make dough! preheat your oven to 350 and either line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpmat.

with a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. cream until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. beat in egg and vanilla extract for one more minute. add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until just combined. remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a spatula to fold in the popcorn. fold in dark chocolate.

scoop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse sea salt. bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden brown. i recommend checking after 10 minutes; so that they do not get too dark. remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

enjoy!