peppermint bark Popcorn

Our Best Bites 

• 16 cups popped popcorn (see notes) fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn
• 1 pound almond bark
• 1 6-ounce box candy canes crushed (about 1 generous cups, Bob’s brand are best!)
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint oil or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract (see notes)
• ¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

• Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.
• Melt almond bark according to package instructions. When completely melted, add extract or peppermint oil. If using extract, it’s normal for the almond bark to seize (get lumpy) which is okay, just stir very quickly, the more you wait the more it will seize.
• Pour melted almond bark mixture over popcorn and pour crushed candy canes on top. Stir to evenly coat. Pour popcorn out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil and spread out.
• Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. Let mixture dry completely until chocolate and almond bark are hardened. You may place in the fridge to speed process along.
• 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!

Notes

• If you’re using microwave popcorn, try to find an unbuttered or “natural” kind because this looks much prettier if the popcorn isn’t bright yellow! Lightly salted is fine, I actually like a little salt in there, but avoid heavy buttered.
• Also, if you can find flavored oils, like you would use for candy making, use them as they will best combine with the almond bark. If using extract, it’s not unusual for it to cause the almond bark to seize, but just stir quickly and pour immediately on popcorn. Once distributed it will be just fine.
• After the coating has hardened completely, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature. Consume within 7 days for best results.
• This popcorn stays fresh and delicious for days, so feel free to package it up ahead of time if gifting!
• If you can find flavored oils, like you would use for candy making, use them as they will best combine with the almond bark. If using extract, it’s not unusual for it to cause the almond bark to seize, but just stir quickly and pour immediately on popcorn. Once distributed it will be just fine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 9mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.4mg

• 16 cups popped popcorn (see notes) fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn
• 1 pound almond bark
• 1 6-ounce box candy canes crushed (about 1 generous cups, Bob’s brand are best!)
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint oil or 2 teaspoons peppermint extract (see notes)
• ¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

• Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.
• Melt almond bark according to package instructions. When completely melted, add extract or peppermint oil. If using extract, it’s normal for the almond bark to seize (get lumpy) which is okay, just stir very quickly, the more you wait the more it will seize.
• Pour melted almond bark mixture over popcorn and pour crushed candy canes on top. Stir to evenly coat. Pour popcorn out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil and spread out.
• Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. Let mixture dry completely until chocolate and almond bark are hardened. You may place in the fridge to speed process along.
• 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!

Notes

• If you’re using microwave popcorn, try to find an unbuttered or “natural” kind because this looks much prettier if the popcorn isn’t bright yellow! Lightly salted is fine, I actually like a little salt in there, but avoid heavy buttered.
• Also, if you can find flavored oils, like you would use for candy making, use them as they will best combine with the almond bark. If using extract, it’s not unusual for it to cause the almond bark to seize, but just stir quickly and pour immediately on popcorn. Once distributed it will be just fine.
• After the coating has hardened completely, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature. Consume within 7 days for best results.
• This popcorn stays fresh and delicious for days, so feel free to package it up ahead of time if gifting!
• If you can find flavored oils, like you would use for candy making, use them as they will best combine with the almond bark. If using extract, it’s not unusual for it to cause the almond bark to seize, but just stir quickly and pour immediately on popcorn. Once distributed it will be just fine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 247kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 9mg, Potassium: 60mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Calcium: 7mg, Iron: 0.4mg

White Cake mix additions

1.  White Cake mix to peppermint cake
Betty Crocker

1

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ white cake mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box

1/2

teaspoon red food color

1/2

teaspoon peppermint extract

White Icing

1

cup powdered sugar

1

tablespoon milk or water

1/2

teaspoon vanilla, if desired

Decoration

Crushed candy canes or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease rectangular pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour about 2 cups batter into pan. In small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract. Carefully pour pink batter over white batter in pan and then swirl the two colors together with a knife.
• 2 Bake and cool cake as directed on box.
• 3 In small bowl, mix white icing ingredients. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cake. Sprinkle crushed candy on top. Store loosely covered.

2.  White Cake mix to Chocolate cake mix

1 cake mix 

3 eggs

1and1/4 c milk

1/4c oil

1/2 c sour cream or mayo (i've tried both and very successful()

1 pudding package (keep it in powder form)

1/4-1/2c cocoa powder 

Chocolate chips

Oven 350. Mix eggs, water, oil, pudding and cocoa till smooth.  Then add cake mix.  Spray the baking pan add the cake mix. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top, they will sink down as it cooks.  Last 5 min add two handfuls of chips to top, they will stay on the top.  Cook 24min, let cool.

4/01/24

MAde a white cake mix and turned it into a most delicious chocolate cake 

Two options for frosting:

1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave with a little oil/butter and pour that on top of a cooled cake.  It will harden and be delicious

2. Chocolate sauce

• 4 tablespoons (60g) virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (52g) carob/cocoa powder. (For a sauce, decrease to 1/4 cup)
• 2-4T honey

Melt the coconut oil and honey  in the microwave. My honey was old and granulized, but the micro smoothed it out. Add the cocoa. Stir stir stir! Stir until it gets thick like Artisana Cacao Bliss.

3.Banana-Cinnamon Cake

 Betty Crocker

1

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

1/2

cup water 

1

cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

3

eggs

1/2

cup chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Glaze

1/2

cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

2

to 3 teaspoons milk 

1/4

teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and lightly flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or spray with cooking spray.
• 2 In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, bananas, butter, cinnamon and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in walnuts. Pour into pan.
• 3 Bake 47 to 57 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours. In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cake. Store loosely covered.