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Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 5, 2013 by Joy the Baker 269 Comments

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

  Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip 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 Chocolate Chip Cookies

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!

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Milk.  Spilled.

Deb’s Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 24 cookies

adapted slightly from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Print this Recipe!

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.  

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stefanía

    April 5, 2013 at 3:45 am

    These look so yummy!!

    Reply
  2. joanna

    April 5, 2013 at 3:14 am

    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.

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      April 5, 2013 at 11:09 am

      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.

      Reply
    • Mindy

      April 7, 2013 at 9:03 pm

      hahaha… Joanna you are FUNNY. But seriously, that really would be so cool.

      Reply
      • Mindy

        April 7, 2013 at 9:05 pm

        Have you seen that Modern Family episode? Flipjack, anyone?

        Reply
        • Lucia

          September 2, 2013 at 10:14 am

          Popcake? FLIPJACK

          Reply
  3. Phoebe

    April 5, 2013 at 2:46 am

    Oh gosh!! These looks so delicious! I’m going to add that to my long list of stuff to bake, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Jayne

    April 5, 2013 at 2:30 am

    Snack in a snack? Woman, you have quite a brain! I like it!

    Reply
  5. Ellen

    April 5, 2013 at 2:22 am

    Oh heck yes. Marvelous idea. And I had not thought to smuggle wine in before to a movie. Fantabulous idea.

    Reply
  6. Shelby Ivy

    April 5, 2013 at 1:57 am

    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!

    Reply
  7. this is lemonade

    April 5, 2013 at 1:54 am

    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

    Reply
  8. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    April 5, 2013 at 1:46 am

    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!

    Reply
  9. Marisa

    April 5, 2013 at 1:32 am

    Looks so yummy ….making these tonight for movie night !!!!!

    Reply
  10. Sian Bowen

    April 5, 2013 at 1:24 am

    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

    Reply
  11. Margherita

    April 5, 2013 at 1:18 am

    Never had pop-corn in a cookie before…I like the idea of it tough!

    Reply
  12. Miss Kim @ behgopa

    April 5, 2013 at 12:52 am

    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.

    Reply
  13. tia the baker

    April 5, 2013 at 12:51 am

    that looks so unique and tasty!

    Reply
  14. Lindsey [Lou Lou Biscuit]

    April 5, 2013 at 12:33 am

    This looks too good to be true. It probably is, considering that these cookies might not survive past the dough stage! YUM!!!

    Reply
    • erin @hooleywithaz

      April 5, 2013 at 7:29 am

      haha i totally agree!

      Reply
      • Erin @ The Speckled Palate

        April 5, 2013 at 3:41 pm

        Ditto, ladies! I can see this being trouble.

        Delicious, decadent trouble.

        Reply
  15. Naomi A

    April 5, 2013 at 12:24 am

    I only have kettle corn and white chocolate chips! It’ll have to work because this just sounds toooo good~

    Prabal Gurung for Target Giveaway!

    Reply
    • Ellen Gibbs

      April 8, 2013 at 5:18 am

      Sounds even better with kettle corn. Mm…

      Reply
      • joythebaker

        April 8, 2013 at 7:21 am

        i like the way you think!

        Reply
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