White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Balls

White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Balls

 

Are you kidding me? This screams Christmas Wonderland and makes me want to dress up like an elf! And they are easy to make. No candy thermometer or Karo syrup required. 

We elves like to stick to the main food groups...

12 cups popped popcorn
10 ounces mini marshmallows
1 cup white chocolate chips
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy canes (make extra for decorating the exterior of the popcorn balls)
Extra butter for greasing hands and everything else in your kitchen
Waxed Paper

IMPORTANT- POPCORN PURIST ALERT!!!

First of all, ditch the microwave popcorn. Immediately if not sooner. Unless you're a fan of chemicals and artificial flavoring, which I'm not. It's super easy to make delicious popcorn on the stove and it tastes SO MUCH BETTER. You'll never go back to the microwave. 

POPCORN and oil. Yes. That's all you really need. Cover the bottom of a large pot with oil. (Not deep, just enough to barely cover the bottom) I use canola, but you can also use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil or grapeseed oil. It has to be an oil with a high smoke point.

Heat the oil on medium/high heat and place 2-3 test kernels of popcorn in the oil after a couple of minutes. Put the lid on. When the test kernels pop, pour in enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pot. PUT THE LID BACK ON. Turn the heat down to medium. When the kernels start to pop, pick up the pot (use potholders) and shake it around a bit. I do the 'popcorn shake' about every 30  seconds until the corn popping slows down to a near stop. Pour melted butter on and add salt to taste or leave unsalted/buttered for popcorn ball recipe.

POPCORN BALLS


Spread the waxed paper on your countertop so it's ready for the popcorn balls. 

Have your popped popcorn ready to go in a very large bowl. 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or pot over very low heat and then add the marshmallows a little at a time and then the white chocolate chips. Keep stirring and keep it on low. After the mixture is all melted and smooth, remove from heat and add the salt and peppermint extract. 

 Working rather quickly (and if you have a helper at this point, all the better) drizzle about 1/3 of the melted yumminess and some of the candy cane pieces over your popcorn and fold in gently with a large spatula. Repeat until all of the butter/marshmallow goodness and candy cane pieces are mixed in with the popcorn. Don't worry if it seems like it's not getting all mixed in perfectly. 

Butter your hands and scoop out popcorn mixture and form it into balls of your desired size. Don't pack the mixture together too tightly, as it will not be a light and fluffy texture. Make a little pile of candy cane pieces and roll the popcorn ball tops in it to garnish.

Big popcorn balls (baseball size) make a really cute gift, but if you're taking these to a party, make them small (ping pong ball size).  

Place the popcorn balls on the waxed paper to set. 









 







These popcorn balls make great gifts and look especially cute when packaged in clear cellophane or waxed paper with ribbons or in cupcake liners. 

ALTERNATIVE: Press the popcorn mixture into a buttered Bundt cake pan or a bowl and make a cake out of it! Let it cool and set completely before taking it out of the pan/bowl and then garnish with a drizzle of melted white chocolate and candy cane sprinkles.  

You can also leave out the peppermint extract and candy canes and add dry roasted peanuts and holiday M&Ms. 

Have a magical Christmas! 

Me and friends at Macy's in NYC last year.