Today I’d like to talk about the internet. Of course, the internet is such a slight thing that can be easily dissected into a 400-word blog post, natch. But although I hardly believe it to be possible, I now spend more time on the web than ever before. Call it Internet Parenting Addiction.
Something about the internet tends to bring out the inner weirdo in people. Like, I never envisioned myself googling, at 3 in the morning, “normal baby poop”.
How did mothers nurse without browser-ready smartphones? I have every parenting book my neuroses and wallet can afford uploaded to my kindle app, plus dozens of longread articles on the Pocket app, Instagram feeds, and enough Facebook and Google Plus groups to wile away any length of time nursing. When you have a 6 month old in the 90th percentile for weight who always.seems.hungry (she is so my child), that translates into many hours in a nursing chair while absentmindedly stroking her head and poring over Google entries for “best cloth diaper detergent”. (The answer for me is Soap Nuts, of which I’m sure you were dying to know).
In any case, it also helps (hurts?) my recipe addiction, especially since she’s now of an age where I can place her in an exersaucer and she can entertain herself while I putter away in the kitchen. My sweet tooth has exploded lately, for better or worse, and I’ve been spending time daydreaming of cookie concoctions. That’s pretty much how these popcorn cookies came about. I was browsing through the cupboards in search of cookie inspiration when a jar of unpopped popcorn and cocoa powder appeared before me like a ray of light. A few hours later, and I was face deep in these chewy, chocolate cookies topped with airy handfuls of popcorn. And since I needed something to send to my Leftovers Club partner (my first one since the baby, yay!) I knew they would be perfect.
What’s the Leftovers Club, you ask? Check out this page for more clarification. Or just browse the offerings of other bloggers and their partners to see what goodies others have traded. Make sure you check out the badass page of Lisa, at Healthy Nibbles and Bits, who is sending me BAKED CAJUN CHIPS that I will be waiting by the mailbox for, as well as some of her other delish healthy recipes, like this spicy red pepper dip thickened with nuts and panko, and this lemon-poppyseed cake baked in the microwave. I’ll take four, please.
And yes, you can do all of that on the internet. Weirdo.
Chocolate Popcorn Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
- 2 1/4 cup white all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F.
- Pop the popcorn by heating the oil in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. When the oil is shimmering, add the popcorn kernels and toss gently to coat. Keep the lid on tight and heat until you hear the kernels begin to pop. Shake the pan gently while the kernels pop until there are no more popping sounds, then immediately remove the popcorn from the heat and pour into a bowl. Set aside to cool a bit.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and whisk gently with a fork in a large bowl. Whisk the eggs and add the vanilla, butter and sugar. Slowly fold the wet ingredients in with the dry and combine until just mixed together.
- Roll the dough into 2″ wide balls and evenly distribute on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press a well into each cookie with your thumb (the way you would if making thumbprint cookies). Gently press a small handful of popcorn onto the top of each cookie. It’s okay if the edges of the cookie batter crack a bit during this.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges has lightly crisped. Let cool before eating.
- Cookies will keep for three-four days if covered tightly and stored in a cool, dry place.
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