After I did Monster Munch back in October, I heard from several people that they had eaten something similar, but with Candy canes in it. I was thinking about doing peppermint bark this week, and the thought of combining the two together gave me warm fuzzies.
I think this might be the perfect Christmas treat because,
1. It's yummy.
2. It's e.a.s.y. So easy! And quick too.
3. Just one batch makes enough to fill up lots of goodie bags.
4. It packs well. It's dry and in small pieces, so it's perfect for filling any type of container, or throwing it in a big bowl for a party.
5. Did I mention it's yummy?
Also, I am quite the connoisseur of candy canes, and in my educated opinion, Bob's brand rocks. Seriously, don't use anything else. Especially not Spangler Candy Canes, they're awful. No, Bob's didn't pay me to say that!
I think this might be the perfect Christmas treat because,
1. It's yummy.
2. It's e.a.s.y. So easy! And quick too.
3. Just one batch makes enough to fill up lots of goodie bags.
4. It packs well. It's dry and in small pieces, so it's perfect for filling any type of container, or throwing it in a big bowl for a party.
5. Did I mention it's yummy?
Also, I am quite the connoisseur of candy canes, and in my educated opinion, Bob's brand rocks. Seriously, don't use anything else. Especially not Spangler Candy Canes, they're awful. No, Bob's didn't pay me to say that!
(you'll need twice the amout of almond bark shown, I just made a half-batch for pictures)Recipe by Our Best Bites
16-20 C popped popcorn (fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn)
1 lb Almond Bark
1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total and Bob's are the best!)
2 tea. peppermint extract
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
*one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups.
Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.
Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a heavy marble rolling pin.
One they're crushed, dump them into the bowl with the popcorn.
To melt the almond bark, follow the instructions on the package. I just break it up and put it in a glass measuring cup and microwave on 1 min intervals until it's nice and smooth.
When your almond bark is melted, add the peppermint extract. It will seize a little bit (get kind of lumpy) but it's totally fine. Pour over popcorn and candycanes.
Stir it up really well until the candy is evenly distributed. Pour the popcorn out onto a piece of waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Spread it out into an even layer and leave it alone!
While the popcorn is setting, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. I really like dark chocolate to counter-balance the sweetness of the almond bark, but I know there's a lot of dark haters, so do what you want!
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. You can use a fork, or put it in a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off.
Leave it until the almond bark and the chocolate is hardened. If you need to hurry it up, do this whole process on lined cookie sheets you can pop in the fridge.
When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break up popcorn into chunks. Toss in a bowl, a jar, a cute package, or in your mouth :)
61 Click HERE to leave a comment:
I love popcorn and peppermint. I've gotta try this! Thanks!
You never disappoint! Yum!
Yummy! Thanks so much for starting off the season just right.
YAY My hero! Totally doing this for neighbour gifts!
All I can say is YUMMY!!!!
This is SO good!
I don't really have a favorite treat to give away. This popcorn looks really yummy and festive. I will have to give it a try. I love easy and quick.
This just looks too evil.... We might have to try it :)
I have a fabulous cocoa recipe...it makes tons of dry cocoa. Then I put it in pint jars, screw a cute piece of holiday fabric into the lid, and voila! Easy peasy.
This popcorn looks so...pretty. And yummy, I'm sure.
This is something I will definitely be making to give to neighbors. Looks pretty too! thanks, Lisa k in tx
I swear, every single thing you guys post looks so good. I always feel like a dork because I always come here and comment: "I am gonna have to try this one..." but it is so true. Y.U.M. You guys are awesome!
I am interested in trying this- I never mix popcorn and chocolate... BUT since Thanksgiving we had your Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and the Focacia bread for Turkey leftovers yesterday.. (and all of them were HUGE hits) I will have to trust you and give this a try!
That looks AWESOME!!! Yum. I can't wait to try it!
i like to make a peppermint cream pie...but not really to give away...unless i take it to the ward christmas party lol! otherwise, i make it just for my christmas piggy...er, myself.
Looks great! Welcome back for your Thanksgiving break!
I like to make homemade hot fudge sauce (for ice cream). I put in in small jars, and print a cute label to stick on it. This year I think I'll try the popcorn. It looks cheaper!
I just got done making this! It is soooo yummy!!! Thanks so much! I love your site!
Oh my. I don't think I would be able to stop eating this once I started.
I made this tonight for family night treats! It was a big hit! I used milk chocolate for my drizzle and it was yummy!(I don't buy semisweet or dark chocolate, I am a milk chocolate purist!)
My mouth is watering
I wish I liked peppermint and candy canes. Any suggestion for an alternative??
I found the soft peppermint sticks on an endcap by the registers at Wal-Mart. Maybe you'll have luck there. And thanks for this recipe!
My microwave is on the fritz. It has a tendency to burn popcorn - not pretty. But sometimes it pops just right... Anyhow, how many cups of popcorn would that be?
Heather, one bag has about 14 cups. I should go add that to the post. I meant to, but I guess I forgot!
YUM. I tried this tonight using the Bob's soft peppermint balls and it turned out great! By the way, 40 balls = 1 1/2 cups crushed, if anyone else wants to use these.
oooh, Thank you Jen! I was hoping someone would try it with the soft peppermints and tell me how it was!
I'm confused. One BAG of popcorn has 14 cups?! Mine has 3.5 cups per bag. How many bags do I really need?
Christina- do you have the mini bags or something? The internet told me that a standard bag of microwave popcorn has 14 cups in it so I went with that. But I just looked and I have a few different brands and they all say 10 cups. So I'm gonna say that 10 cups is standard! Also, ironically I'm making this right now, so I measured and sure enough, exactly 10 cups. So I'm going to say you need 20 cups popped popcorn. Does that make sense? If you're confused about the bags you have, just pop them and measure.
Thanks! I went ahead and made it with my two bags and it was perfect...as well as a hit at the ward party. Every last bite was eaten! Thanks!
I tried this out and it was surprising easy and SOOOO delicious! I am going to make more to give out as a gift.
I'm so happy so many of you have tried this and love it as much as I do! I just wanted to leave a note because I've edited this recipe in the past few days. So if anyone thinks they're losing their mind because things keep changing, it's not you, it's me! lol. And really, I just fine-tuned it a bit. Just an FYI, from the original,
- I increased the extract from 1.5 to 2 t
- changed the air popping measurements to 20 C popcorn (2 microwave bags still)
- and changed it to say that one 6oz box of candy canes is perfect.
Well, I've tried it with both the soft peppermints and the regular candy canes, and my vote is for the candy canes. But both are good! I took it to an RS cookie exchange and it disappeared. And someone just called this afternoon to beg the recipe off me!
Just did it tonight. We did 14 cups of popcorn (popped) on the stove and then doubled everything else and it is SOOOOO good. We even used *spanglers* candy canes, and well, it was AWESOME!
I've made three batches now. The first I forgot the peppermint extract but it worked well. The next two I remembered the peppermint, but as soon as I stirred it in, the almond bark set up. Have you had this problem?
By the way, they all taste good, they just don't coat as well.
LuckyMatt- yes, when you add alcohol to almond bark it will seize a bit, but not so much that you can't stir it in. It's a little scary if you start seeing clumps, but I find that if I pour it on the popcorn right away and stir really well, it coats just fine! I've also noticed that different brands of almond bark react differently to the extract. I used a local brand yesterday and was a lot different than the one I was used to.
I made this for my neighbors this weekend. I've never had so many requests for a recipe!! Thank you so much :)
Can I use white chocolate as a substitute for the almond bark?
Baflien- You *can* use white chocolate, but it doesn't coat quite as well and it tends to seize more when you add extract to it, so that's why I recommend using the almond bark.
I just read you can use 1 lb vanilla chips melted with 1 tablespoon butter to make your own bark. Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to make my own peppermint extract (since the stores are closed now)!
Can you please recommend your favorite Almond Bark? The one I normally use is the local brand and it hardens almost immediately if I add anything to it.
I had the same problem this evening as Michelle. I was taking this to book club. I think it worked out ok but it was definitely not easy to mix in and doesn't look anywhere near as pretty as the pictures. My almond bark turned into a paste even before all the extract was mixed in. Any suggestion on what brand to buy?
Michelle and Chu33la- that's weird, I'm not sure what to tell you because I've never had that happen and I've used several different brands. The only thing I can think of is maybe it wasn't hot enough so it wasn't melted all the way? You could try adding less extract and seeing if that helps. It should seize up a little, but should stir up just fine.
If you use peppermint oil instead of extract, it won't seize. You can get the oil in the Wilton section of stores like WM and Michaels. It's used for candy making. It might be available at the grocery store.
Sara and KLee, thank you both for your suggestions. I will give them a try.
Does it matter if the microwave popcorn is butter flavor? Should it be? Or should it be plain?
ok since i'm in a planning mood i'll ask about this one also... time frame for making ahead? 1 week? have you experienced the popcorn getting soft or anything if it's packaged?
thanks again girls!
Sara
The fresher the better Sara. It will hold up pretty well, like if you're going to ship it or something, but if at all possible, I'd make it as close to the time you plan on giving it away as possible.
i *will* be shipping it as well as handing it out :)so i'll try to save it till the end!
thanks again for your responses!
All I need to do is add the chocolate and it is finished... i must say, I snuck a little taste and it is even better than I had anticipated and remember, that is sans chocolate.... I can't imagine what the finished will be like!
I made this to pass out to friends and neighbors and are just getting rave reviews for it. Thanks for so many delicious recipes!
I am so excited that I found your blog on today. I will make all three of the popcorn recipes and give as gifts in sets of three in cello bags. I know all of my co-workers will be excited about receiving the popcorn treats. Thank you for your generosity and your great instructions.
I made your recipe tonight and it turned out great! Very yummy--I hope I can stop eating it so there will be some left to put on the plate of goodies I'll be giving to the neighbors. It's nice to have something a little out of the ordinary to add.
Thanks for all your effort in posting so many tasty recipes on your blog. I check it almost every week and have added some of your recipes to my rotation of menus.
Hawaiian turkey burgers, spicy honey chicken, asian lettuce wraps and creamy chicken tacquitos are my favorites. I made your Brazilian lemonade at a luncheon I had at my house, and the ladies all enjoyed it. Merry Christmas!
I made this tonight and it came out great! Very pretty but also quick, easy and kid-helper friendly!
Merry Christmas!
Becky <><
This is fantastic! I've made it three times. I mix the popcorn with the melted almond bark with my hands. It's easier than fighting with a spoon, especially if the almond bark has seized up. Thank you for a great recipe!
Thanks for the recipe! I made a 1/3 sized batch to test out with some friends, and it was a hit! I'll be making at least 2 batches to put in tins to giveaway at our Christmas Eve celebration :) I couldn't find any non-buttered microwave popcorn. Seems like the trend is Butter, Extra Butter, Ultimate Butter, Butter lovers, Movie Theatre butter, etc. so I used microwave kettle corn. It worked great!
I can't find any almond bark anywhere. Where do you typically buy it? I looked in 2 different grocery stores. Anyway, I am going to try the white chocolate but now I'm worried about adding the extract. Oh well! I'm sure it will turn out fine. My first time doing anything with popcorn! Live and Learn!
Melissa- it's usually by the chocolate chips, often on the top or bottom shelf. It should be easy to find this time of year and it's often in the holiday displays at the grocery store. Did you ask anyone at the store? I've found at the holidays they often move it. Or, it's popular this time of year so sometimes it's sold out :(
Thanks Sara! The store was too busy to ask but I will next time. I found the white chocolate and figured that's where it would be. Thanks for a great recipe...among the many on here!
Melissa, one thing that will help is melting a little shortening with your white chocolate. Try about 1/2 teaspoon with 1/2 C chocolate chips.
Thanks for the tip Sara! I just found your site a couple weeks ago and am in love! Especially love that you are commenting back to us! Awesome!
OMG! This is so wonderful! I couldn't keep my hands out of it even before the chocolate was drizzled on it! Can't wait to taste it when it is all set up! Thanks for the tip...it worked but I need a larger bowl b/c this was a little messy! Will definitely be making one more if not two batches!
Post a Comment