This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, because #Choctoberfest is finally here! From now until the end of the week, I am joining forces with over 100 other bloggers from around the world to post delicious chocolate recipes. Every day, #Choctoberfest bloggers will be celebrating all things chocolate – milk, dark, white, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and cocoa!
We are starting with a #Choctoberfest prize pack from our generous sponsors. Scroll down to learn how you can enter to win.
I have a feeling that #Choctoberfest might be one of the best weeks of the year. Not only is the giveaway awesome (thanks sponsors!) but the recipes are going to be amazing. We are starting out our week with some chocolate popcorn balls drizzled with a sugary glaze. They are seriously so easy to make and perfect for holiday parties this season!
I will admit that I’m kind of in love with this silicone popcorn maker. It just goes in the microwave for a few minutes with your kernels and then you wipe it clean. I love popcorn and it’s such a simple snack that you can doctor up with seasonings, or make into chocolate balls like this recipe here!
You can buy it here on Amazon for like $12-$15. Seriously, you won’t be disappointed.
It makes perfect popcorn for snacking, but it also makes it perfectly for these popcorn balls. I only used 1/2 cup of kernels and it made almost 10 cups of freshly popped corn! If you want to make a smaller batch of popcorn balls, you can use less kernels, totally up to you.
Alright, now for the good part – the chocolate! Well, I do have to tell you that technically there isn’t “chocolate” in these popcorn balls but there is so amazing cocoa powder. Seriously, the Rodelle cocoa powder is amazing. Every holiday season, they have it at our local Costco for like $5 a bag which is a STEAL. But, you can also buy it here on Amazon.
This recipe is so simple because you basically pop your corn, then make this chocolately delicious mixture and drizzle on the corn, mixing gently til totally combined. I actually put 4 cups of popcorn in one bowl and the other 4 cups in a separate bowl. You don’t want to smoosh your popcorn too much so I felt that two bowls was necessary.
Then, for the fun (messy) part! Please note, this is a VERY important tip. To form them into popcorn balls, you need to get your hands slightly wet with cool water. Then, you can easily grab a handful of chocolate popcorn and form into a ball. I recommend then setting them on a silpat sheet (we use this one) or parchment paper to dry and harden.
After you let them hang out for about 10-15 minutes, you can make your yummy sweet glaze! Our friends over at Imperial Sugar not only sponsored this wonderful #Choctoberfest, but also sent us some of their awesome powdered sugar!
Once you mix up your glaze, you want to make sure it’s thin enough to drizzle on these popcorn balls but thick enough to layer on without falling. You silpat sheet also comes in handy here too because it keeps the mess contained.
Just drizzle on over all your popcorn balls until finished and you’re all set! Let them hang out for a bit so the glaze dries and eat them within the first day otherwise they tend to get soggy. I made these a bit small because I feel like I can never finish a big popcorn ball. I don’t know if it’s an Ohio thing, but I totally remember those neon colored popcorn balls at like every holiday craft show during my childhood. I’d like to think these are a step up.
And there you have our first recipe for #Choctoberfest, friends! Make sure to check out the giveaway below and all the amazing fellow bloggers, there are over 100 this year, crazy! As always, be sure to tag us on social so we can see your wonderful creation from our recipes.
Chocolate Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 8 cups popcorn or 1/2 cup popcorn kernals
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare your popcorn if you are popping from kernels. Place four cups in large bowl and the other four cups in another large bowl.
- Prepare chocolate mixture by adding butter, cocoa powder, sugar, honey and salt to a saucepan and warming over medium heat. Stir consistently with rubber spatula until fully combined and butter/sugar has melted.
- Gently pour chocolate mixture over popcorn then stir to fully coat. You’ll have to mix it up for 2-3 minutes in each bowl to make sure it’s totally covered.
- Let it cool for about 5ish minutes. While it’s cooling, line a sheet pan with a silpat sheet or parchment paper to contain your mess. Get ready to form your popcorn balls by getting your hands slightly wet with cool water, this will help form them while not getting super sticky. Grab a handful of chocolate popcorn, form into a ball and then set on your silpat sheet.
- Repeat until all popcorn balls are created, it should make about 16 two inch balls. While they are sitting and drying, prepare your sweet glaze.
- Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla to a bowl and whisk with a fork until desired consistency. You may need to add more or less heavy cream until it’s your preferred thickness.
- Drizzle glaze over popcorn balls then enjoy! Enjoy within 12 hours of making.
One lucky winner will receive the following:
- A 100-Piece Cake Decorating Kit from our blog sponsors The PinterTest Kitchen. This set includes a cake turntable, piping bags, piping tips, flower nozzles, scapers, and more.
- An Instant Pot and a 40-Pound Case of Granulated Sugar from our gold sponsor Imperial Sugar. Imperial Sugar provides high-quality sugar and sweetener products and over 100 years of time-tested recipes. Sweet things happen when people come together in the kitchen, and that’s why Imperial Sugar has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations for generations.
- Coconut Oil and Chocolate Silk Greens from our silver sponsor Barlean’s, your trusted source for chocolatey goodness superfood nutrition. Barlean’s has a commitment to staying ahead of the innovation curve in providing the absolute highest quality product.
- A Chocolate Gift Pack from our silver sponsor Forte Chocolates. You’ll receive 12 of their most popular chocolate bars. With Forte Chocolates, you can celebrate life through chocolate. They also have a line of chocolate developed specifically to use in savory recipes.
- A Chocolate Gift Pack from our silver sponsor Divine Chocolate. You’ll receive one of each of their baking bars, a white chocolate bar, and their top 5 everyday bars. Divine Chocolate is the only Fairtrade chocolate company in the world that is owned by cocoa farmers. Their baking bars are also a delicious vegan option.
- A Selection of Sprinkles from our silver sponsor Sprinkle Pop. Sprinkle Pop’s bespoke sprinkle creations are one of a kind, just like you! At Sprinkle Pop, you can also order a custom sprinkle mix; there isn’t a sprinkle mix that you can dream up that they can’t create.
That’s a prize pack worth over $400! Open worldwide, except where prohibited. Must be 18+ to enter (21+ in some locations). See terms and conditions for more details.
To enter, simply follow our sponsors using the widget below. You can gain additional entries by following me and the other participating bloggers. A winner will be drawn on October 21, 2018 and contacted via email. Good luck!
Don’t forget to come back to my blog for more chocolatey goodness between now and October 20.
Check out our participating bloggers:
The PinterTest Kitchen ♥ 2 Cookin Mamas ♥ 27th and Olive ♥ A Day in the Life on the Farm ♥ A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures ♥ A Little Fish in the Kitchen ♥ addicted 2 recipes ♥ Amy’s Cooking Adventures ♥ An Affair from the Heart ♥ April GoLightly ♥ At the Table with R and R ♥ Baking Sense ♥ Blade & Barbell ♥ Blogghetti ♥ Body Rebooted ♥ Books n’ Cooks ♥ Bottom Left of the Mitten ♥ Canning and Cooking at Home ♥ Cheese Curd In Paradise ♥ Chef Sarah Elizabeth ♥ Cindy’s Recipes and Writings ♥ Coconut & Lime ♥ Cook With Renu ♥ Cook’s Hideout ♥ Cookaholic Wife ♥ Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt ♥ CopyKat.com ♥ Daily Dish Recipes ♥ Everyday Eileen ♥ Fairyburger ♥ Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice ♥ Family Around the Table ♥ Fix Me a Little Lunch ♥ Frankly Entertaining ♥ Frugal & Fit ♥ Get the Good Stuff! ♥ Growing Up Gabel ♥ Hardly A Goddess ♥ Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks ♥ Home Sweet Homestead ♥ House of Nash Eats ♥ Intelligent Domestications ♥ jenniferbakes ♥ JoAnn’s Food Bites ♥ Join Us, Pull up a Chair ♥ Jolene’s Recipe Journal ♥ Jonesin’ For Taste ♥ Karen’s Kitchen Stories ♥ Kate’s Recipe Box ♥ Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats ♥ LeMoine Family Kitchen ♥ Life on Food ♥ Life, Love, and Good Food ♥ Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish ♥ Little House Big Alaska ♥ Long Distance Baking ♥ Maria’s Mixing Bowl ♥ Moore or Less Cooking ♥ Must Love Home ♥ Norine’s Nest ♥ Our Good Life ♥ Our Sutton Place ♥ OVENTales ♥ Palatable Pastime ♥ Prettysweetblog ♥ Red Cottage Chronicles ♥ Restless Chipotle ♥ Reviews, Chews & How-Tos ♥ Sarah Cooks the Books ♥ Sarah’s Bake Studio ♥ Savory Moments ♥ Seasonal and Holiday Recipe Exchange ♥ Seasoned Sprinkles ♥ Seduction In The Kitchen ♥ Simple Family Crazy Life ♥ Simply Inspired Meals ♥ Snacks and Sips ♥ Soulfully Made ♥ Stephie The Happy Mom ♥ Sumptuous Spoonfuls ♥ Sweet Coralice ♥ Take Two Tapas ♥ Tampa Cake Girl ♥ That Recipe ♥ The Baking Fairy ♥ The Beard and The Baker ♥ The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine ♥ The Gingered Whisk ♥ The Heritage Cook ♥ The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen ♥ The Olive Blogger ♥ The Pajama Chef ♥ The Redhead Baker ♥ The Saucy Fig ♥ The Spiffy Cookie ♥ The Weekday Gourmet ♥ This is How I Cook ♥ Trampling Rose ♥ Turnips 2 Tangerines ♥ Walking Fruitfully ♥ Wendy Polisi ♥ Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen ♥ Zesty South Indian Kitchen
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