Triple Chocolate Popcorn

I have always loved popcorn.  Growing up, I would make microwave popcorn all the time, and we always had plenty on hand.  Never mind the fact that it probably had artificial stuff in it that wasn't good for me, I didn't start thinking about that until I got out of high school.  At that time I discovered making my own popcorn (not in a store bought bag) from the bulk section and popping it on the stove in my Mom's Whirly Pop popcorn maker.  She made it with coconut oil and sea salt and it was so good!  This is how I always make my popcorn now, and it is so good just like that, but I also like to embellish it sometimes.  It is important though that you start with a good popcorn as a base, so I like to buy organic pop corn kernels from the bulk section at the health food store I work in. You don't want to be buying non-organic GMO corn after all.  Or at least I don't.

I usually end up making popcorn once a week or so, and I like to make all different flavors to keep it interesting.  I make savory the most, but of course sweet is good sometimes too.  I usually share with Eric, because he loves popcorn even more than I do.  I was telling him last week that a triple chocolate popcorn sounded good, and sounded excited about it, so of course I had to make some.  Couldn't tease and not make it!  Plus, I was craving it too by the time I got around to making it.  I have made just a plain chocolate popcorn before with a light dark chocolate coating and sea salt, and that was amazing, but I figured I would be a little fancy with this one and use 3 different chocolates!

I made a white chocolate coating to toss the popcorn with first, this has been the base for other sweet popcorn recipes I have made, and it is always super delicious and coats it just enough.  It is a mixture of cacao butter, cashew butter and coconut butter and trust me it is the perfect combination for white chocolate!  Totally crave worthy, but even more so with other things added to it...like even more chocolate in this case!  I melted dark chocolate and drizzled that over it too, and I made a milk chocolate by combining the dark chocolate with coconut butter and by the end it looked kind of like a Jackson Pollock painting.  But I thought some chocolate chips would be good too, so I sprinkled those over as well.  It was sooo good!  Sweet, rich dark chocolate, the creamy flavors of the milk and white chocolate and of course the satisfying crunch of the popcorn and hint of sea salt...it was heavenly!  I don't know whether to classify this as dessert or a snack. Maybe a snacky dessert, the best kind as far as I am concerned.  It is crave worthy. Just try to only eat a small bowl, I bet you will go back for seconds!  I certainly did!

Triple Chocolate Popcorn
Makes 8 cups

White Chocolate:

• 1/4 cup cacao butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp raw cashew butter
• 1/4 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)

Dark and Milk chocolate

• 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chopped vegan dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup coconut butter, warmed to liquid

Popcorn:

• 8 cups plain popcorn
• 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips or chopped vegan dark chocolate

Instructions:

1. To make the white chocolate, whisk together all ingredients until smooth, and set aside.
2. Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips in a double boiler, then pour 2/3 into one bowl, and 1/3 into the other bowl.  Mix the coconut butter into the bowl with 1/3 cup, this is the milk chocolate.
3. Toss the white chocolate with the popcorn in a large bowl, then spread out on a parchment lined tray.  Drizzle the dark chocolate and the milk chocolate over the popcorn, then sprinkle with the dark chocolate chips.
4. Place in the freezer until the chocolate dries (I put it in the freezer for 15 min).  Enjoy!