Things we love: popcorn , chocolate, dancing, cocktails.. okay only the first two are related to this recipe. Saw these popcorn topped bars in a recent Bon Appetit mag (note to self- post a pic of the absurd amounts of bon appetits we keep in the apartment) and knew they were destined for our traps.
Essentially, this is a shortbread topped with chocolate and sprinkled with popcorn/sea salt. Bon Appetit loves this trick where they throw chocolate chips on some sort of bar right out of the oven and pass it off as frosting. This isn’t the most legit move but by the time popcorn is all over the top we just can’t care.
What kind of popcorn do you ask? Popcorn from our Whirley Pop. Don’t have one? How about you clean out the pan currently filled with box mac and cheese and throw in some popcorn kernels instead? Better yet- go to your local market (note- write about love for Union and Eastern Market) and get some fun kernels. Market popcorn kernels usually pop smaller, sweeter and aren’t pre-laden with some powdered pseudo-butter product that makes me want to light all bagged popcorn on fire. Microwave popcorn is offensive and if you make it so are you.
Okay… sorry… did not see that popcorn lecture coming… if you like sweet/salty combo’s make these bars.
White Trash Option: Microwave popcorn- but really…. Does that seem like an option after the above rant?