MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope you all have had a fabulous day with family and loved ones. This was a wonderful holiday in my household as it was my son’s first Christmas – such a special time. Also, I received many fantastic cooking- and baking-related gifts, and my blog will definitely benefit from these changes! Most exciting is that I received a Canon Rebel XTi, so I am hoping that my photos will improve drastically as I learn to use this fabulous new camera! I still have several great recipes to share from my pre-dSLR days though, so you will have to bear with my old photos a bit longer.
The final recipes I will be posting from my holiday packages is this popcorn. I have learned thanks to my stat counter that the chocolate-peanut butter combination is wildly addictive. In muffin, cake, ice cream or bar form, this has been most definitely be the most popular flavor combo. So here, I bring it to you in the form of a snack that takes maybe 10 minutes to prepare, and then just some waiting time for the chocolate to set. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. Looking for the perfect Christmas evening (or anytime) snack? Look no further.
And, in case you were interested, here is a quick recap of all that was included in my holiday packages:
hot cocoa mix
peppermint stirrers
chocolate biscotti
gingerbread biscotti
orange cranberry bread
chocolate cinnamon bread (half of the packages)
sugar cookies with royal icing (the other half of the packages)
chocolate peanut butter popcorn
Some of these items were not posted on the blog, only because I did not get a photo of them. However, I will try to remake them soon so that I can share the recipes with you. They are too good to miss!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. brown sugar
coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
Directions:
Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Pop popcorn in an air-popper (I *LOVE* my Whirley Pop!) Spread popcorn in an even layer on prepared baking sheets. Combine peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals and stir, until melted and drizzle-able (shhh, it’s a word!) Drop the peanut butter mixture in spoonfuls over the popcorn and gently toss to coat evenly (I find this is best done by hand). In another microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate in 20 second intervals until fully melted. Drizzle over the popcorn. Let the chocolate set before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Source: adapted from Hot Off the Garlic Press
