There’s a reason my purse is the size of international travel luggage.
I lug around a lot. There’s my giant makeup bag full of the two things I actually use and the 87 things I sort through in search of my favorite two items. There’s my camera, because I never know when I want to ignore it to take pictures with my iPhone. There’s a bag of smoked almonds because you do not want to see me hangry. There’s that calligraphy pen you gave me last week… tucked safely away in a zip lock bag.
There are three pens that don’t work, one pencil, and two lip glosses. I totally have a band-aid if you need one… I just hope you’re not in a hurry because it will take me a few moments to find it. Safety pin? Yes. Toothpick? Maybe. Pair of shoes for spin class? Duh.
You know what giant purses are also great for? Smuggling a massive amount of treats into movie theaters. Yea… I’m that girl. With my giant bag, you’d never know that I’m smuggling a gourmet picnic (with wine).
You’d also never suspect that I’d be smuggling my two favorite movie treats (popcorn and chocolate) in one very snackable cookie shape. Just for future reference… you definitely want to sit next to me at the movies. You’ll recognize me as the girl carrying her purse luggage across the aisle. I apologize in advance. Have treats; will (most likely) share.
Let’s pump the brakes. Did we properly celebrate the fact that we’re folding buttered popcorn into chocolate chip cookie batter? This little gem of cookie genius is brought to us by Deb from Smitten Kitchen. She now reigns supreme as Queen of Snacks.
Think about the goodness of a sweet brown sugar cookie batter, combined with a salt buttered popcorn. Dreams!
I have a taste for salt (because I also have a taste for sugar), so I added a bit of extra grey sea salt into the batter and onto the tops of the cookies.
I had a hard time deciding whether or not to add chocolate to this cookie batter.
Wait… a hard time trying deciding on chocolate!?
You’re right. That’s madness. In goes the chocolate!
Buttered popcorn, dark chocolate chunks, and coarse sea salt. Oh yes please.
If you’re thinking white chocolate is a good plan, I would support you in that endeavor!
These cookies are crunchy around the edges and soft in the center. Dark chocolate works really nicely with the buttery popcorn and extra salt. The popcorn gives the cookie a definite chew.
Here’s a mega tip! I was talking with Deb about these cookies and she suggested they be made with microwave popcorn! Yea. Seriously. Let’s just all admit that sometimes microwave popcorn is sometimes the bee’s knees.
Milk. Spilled.
Deb’s Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 24 cookies
adapted slightly from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup yellow corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
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
Let’s make the popcorn first. Place oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat. When oil is hot, add corn kernels in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. Cover the pot but keep the lid ajar to let a bit of steam out. Listen to the popcorn as it pops. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner once the popping has subsided. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. Toss to coat all of the popcorn in a bit of butter. Piece through the popcorn to remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside to cool. You’ll have about 4 cups of popcorn.
Next we’ll make the dough. Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, 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. It might seem like a disproportionate amount of popcorn considering the cookie batter. Keep folding. The popcorn will break down a bit as it’s folded in. Fold in dark chocolate.
Scoop dough by the heaping 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. Remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Stefanía
These look so yummy!!
joanna
By ‘microwave popcorn’ you mean unpopped popcorn that’s put in the dough so it will pop into popcorn in in the cookie in the oven? If that works, that would be … so cool.
joythebaker
i dont’ mean that at all. i don’t think that would be a success. i mean popcorn popped in the microwave, then folded into the cookie dough.
Mindy
hahaha… Joanna you are FUNNY. But seriously, that really would be so cool.
Mindy
Have you seen that Modern Family episode? Flipjack, anyone?
Lucia
Popcake? FLIPJACK
Phoebe
Oh gosh!! These looks so delicious! I’m going to add that to my long list of stuff to bake, thanks for sharing!
Jayne
Snack in a snack? Woman, you have quite a brain! I like it!
Ellen
Oh heck yes. Marvelous idea. And I had not thought to smuggle wine in before to a movie. Fantabulous idea.
Shelby Ivy
I’ve always combined my microwave popcorn with Milk Duds for the salty-sweet combination, but this sounds mind-blowingly amazing! I am seriously considering mixing Milk Duds into this batter or salted caramel pieces along with the dark chocolate chunks. I think my whole body is salivating. Also, omitting both chocolate and caramel, Red Hots would be a great addition to the popcorn cookie batter for a movie night snack. I’ll just go ahead and create a whole line of ideas to add to this batter because it’s the best recipe known to mankind. Thanks, Joy!
this is lemonade
This sounds amazing and the accompanying words didn’t half make me chuckle – love the thought of you sneaking cookies into the cinema in your luggage-sized bag :D
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I made caramel corn cookies last month! I love popcorn, caramel corn, and any time I can combine those faves with a cookie, I am super happy! And good call on working in the chocolate. But I think you may have omitted it from the recipe unless I am blind and overlooking it!
Marisa
Looks so yummy ….making these tonight for movie night !!!!!
Sian Bowen
I am definitely that girl too and anything to do with popcorn wins in my book!! Thanks for the recipe!!
http://www.eatplaydreamlive.blogspot.com
x
Margherita
Never had pop-corn in a cookie before…I like the idea of it tough!
Miss Kim @ behgopa
I was just munching on some microwave popcorn the other day. And I was just thinking…I need something sweet combined with this. Buttered popcorn chocolate chip cookies would have been the answer! I love the taste of salted popcorn combined with sweetness. I can’t wait to try these.
tia the baker
that looks so unique and tasty!
Lindsey [Lou Lou Biscuit]
This looks too good to be true. It probably is, considering that these cookies might not survive past the dough stage! YUM!!!
erin @hooleywithaz
haha i totally agree!
Erin @ The Speckled Palate
Ditto, ladies! I can see this being trouble.
Delicious, decadent trouble.
Naomi A
I only have kettle corn and white chocolate chips! It’ll have to work because this just sounds toooo good~
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Ellen Gibbs
Sounds even better with kettle corn. Mm…
joythebaker
i like the way you think!