DARK. CHOCOLATE. PINK. HIMILAYAN. SEA. SALT. BACON. FAT. POPCORN.

say that ten times fast. I dare you.

clearly that's a mouthful <- pun intended.

Should we talk about how i almost forgot to post this today?! wahhhh its because i'm hopped up on drugs… i swear i'd never forget you otherwise!

scouts honor.

I'm still sick/fighting off a monster cold that just seems to be getting worse by the day. I go to bed at like 9 pm and wake up in the morning feeling like a bus ran me over. womp womp. its the season, so there's not much I can really do about it. I ran into Duane Reade this morning and threw together an emergency cold kit as fast as I could.

are you interested? do you want to know what I'm using in my valiant fight against germs? maybe i'll throw it together in a post for you.

even though I can't really taste much of anything besides menthol right now, I REMEMBER what this popcorn tasted like and OMG. STAAAAHHP. yes.

it's honestly perfect. couldn't have come out better. the popcorn is crisp and crunchy. the bacon grease adds a layer of smokey indulgence. the CHOCOLATE really amps up that indulgent factor a little more (while also adding in a hint of a sweet note). and then we finish it off with a nice rounded out dusting of pink himilayan sea salt… because smokey + salty + sweet is the best combo ever (and because frankie says it tastes like candy…)

I could seriously munch on this stuff ALL DAY LONG. its probably my favorite snack right now.

(and frankie downed a bowl in about two seconds flat too, so i'm not the only one)

PLUS. its so bougie. but simple! your friends are gonna be like UM WHAT THE HECK, IS THIS GORMET POPCORN?!

and you're gonna be all. yes its HOMEMADE GORMET POPCORN BECAUSE DARK CHOCOLATE. YOU'RE WELCOME.

^ isn't that the cutest little butter knife that I used to apply my dark chocolate drizzle?

SPREAD THE DARK CHOCOLATE LOVE. is what it should read probably.

P.S. don't worry Nancy, I didn't steal this one it was a WEDDING FAVOR. it was given to me.

SO. I've been slowly trying to weed out my dependence on bagged popcorn and making my own in a skillet for quite a few months now. mainlyyyy because it's a lot healthier for you this way, but also because its incredibly delicious and cost efficient!

it took me FOREVER to actually perfect my method and now I'm ready to share it.

but before we get down to the nitty gritty let me tell you a couple of my tips. FIRST. use a splatter guard. its very important. you could use the lid for the pot/skillet you're making it in, but I've found that a splatter guard gives the best crunchy texture (I think its because no steam is stuck in the pot). SECOND. always, always, ALWAYS use a tester kernel. that's how you can tell if they oil/fat is hot enough and its key. THIRD. experiment! don't just take my combo and leave it at that (although, after you try it you might want to, tbh) play around with flavors and fat/oil types. I love using bacon fat because it gives the popcorn a smokey flavor, but you could totally use olive oil or butter (I've done and loved both).

LOOK AT THE SALT RAIN. thanks for being my hand model YET AGAIN frankie.

#nailedit

unrelated, is hashtagging still cool? am i no longer hip?

Do any of my food blogger friends have problems with their BOYFRIENDS SNEAKING IN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE PICTURES AND STEALING FOOD?

no? okay maybe its just me. does that give you an indication of how good it is?

i'm gonna dream of this stuff forever.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Bacon Popcorn

Author: Ashley Renee

Scale

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon grease
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
pink himalayan sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Heat a large skillet or medium sized pot over medium/high heat. Add bacon grease and wait until the grease melts.
Add one kernel to the skillet/pot and cover with a splatter guard until the kernel pops. This indicates that the grease is hot enough now to pop the rest. Pour the rest of the kernels into the skillet/pot and cover with the splatter guard. Shake constantly and the kernels will begin to pop.
When the kernels start to slow down their popping, begin counting seconds between pops. The popcorn will be done when there is about 4-5 seconds in between two pops. Remove from heat.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave by heating it in a bowl for 10 second intervals, stir the chocolate in between intervals. Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, drizzle over the popcorn.
Sprinkle the sea salt over the popcorn before the chocolate hardens. Mix the popcorn lightly and then divide into two serving bowls and enjoy!