Homemade Popcorn With Chocolate, Cherries and Sea Salt

A few months ago, Stacy introduced me to More Than Alive, and mentioned that she often reviews their products. Would I be interested, she wondered, in choosing a product from More Than Alive to review?

Um, let me think about that.

Yes!

I started browsing their site, and got really distracted by all those awesome water filtration systems. One day, that super-duper Big Berkey will be mine.

After I tore myself away from the water filter section, I stumbled on the organic yellow popcorn.

I am totally embarrassed to admit that I had actually never made homemade popcorn. Isn’t that something one should do before he/she dies? I think it is.

A few weeks later I got these beauties in my mailbox.

Sam and I were excited, and we made some right away. He gave the popcorn two thumbs up.

In case you’re wondering, all my children have both their eyes. Their mother is not the greatest at taking pictures.

Anyway. It is hard to put into words how much my whole family loved this popcorn. I’m harassed with petitions to make popcorn at least twenty times a day.

And I’ll be honest, it’s absolutely delicious. It’s become a great little snack for us, as my son has life-threatening allergies to milk, egg, and peanut and is on a limited diet.

Since I’ve become a popcorn specialist, I’ve been noticing other brands at the store. It’s amazing how bright yellow and healthy-looking this organic yellow popcorn is compared to the “normal stuff” you see on the store shelves!

And the taste…phenomenal. We love the plain old simplicity of the kernels, coconut oil, and sea salt. I often include it in our healthy to-go lunches for kids!

But I started thinking…Wouldn’t this be better with chocolate? It’s a question I ask a lot, and the answer is almost always, why yes, it would. We all loved the popcorn with chocolate, cherries & sea salt. It’s sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy, just a perfect snack!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I love the brand Enjoy Life, because it’s safe for my son’s dairy and peanut allergies)
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped into small pieces
3T coconut oil
Generous sprinkling of good quality sea salt (I used some I had on-hand from Trader Joe’s. Bet it would be fantastic with high quality Real Redmond Salt.

Instructions:

The first thing you need to do is pop your popcorn. There are a million different techniques for this, and a million different contraptions to use. I used what I had on hand.

Here’s how I did it.

First, put your kids on stools to watch, because they live incredibly simple lives and this is the highlight of their day.

It only looks like they’re about to burn their noses on scalding hot pans. I’m sure I was watching them closely. (Ahem)

Next, melt the coconut oil in a large stock pot on medium high heat. (I love coconut oil for the sweet undertones it gives this recipe, but it also has a high smoke point, so it’s a good choice for popcorn!) Once the oil is melted, add four popcorn kernels to the pan, and put the lid on. Three or five might work, but I wouldn’t risk it. I always do four. 🙂 When they’ve popped, add all the kernels.

Put the pan back on the stove. To prevent burning, shake the pan a little as it’s cooking, and turn the heat down to medium after a minute of popping. When you don’t hear any more popping…done!

Next, spread the popcorn in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Then melt your chocolate. I do this by creating a double-boiler on my stove. I boil water underneath, and put the chocolate in a glass bowl over top until it melts.

Once the chocolate is melted, drizzle it over the popcorn, then sprinkle with chopped dried cherries and sea salt. I like a lot of salt, so I’m generous in my portion. I suggest a light sprinkle first, then more if it needs it.

It needs to cool, but chances are your mouth is watering, and your kids, if you have them, have asked you 486 times if dessert is done. So you might want to hurry this part up and pop the pan in the refrigerator. When the chocolate is hard to the touch, enjoy!

Does your family enjoy homemade popcorn? What are your favorite popcorn toppings?