Peppermint bark popcorn combines chocolate and peppermint. Making popcorn on the stove with oil is easy and tastes better than microwave or air-popped popcorn.
– 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil – ½ cup popcorn kernel – sea salt – 1 cup dark chocolate chip – 4 standard-sized peppermint candy canes (you’ll need about ⅓ cup finely crushed peppermint) – Maldon salt or flaky finishing salt (optional)
Put parchment on a large jelly roll pan. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid (a medium Dutch oven works well). Add 2 corn kernels and cover on medium heat.
Remove the lid and add the remaining popcorn kernels after popping. Cover the pot and shimmy it to distribute the kernels evenly.
Medium simmer, shaking occasionally. To make crisper popcorn, crack the lid slightly and cook until one pop every few seconds. Place popcorn on parchment-lined pan after turning off heat.
Salt lightly and remove unpopped kernels. Store candy canes in plastic bags. Rolling pin the candy canes in a tea towel-lined bag. Hammers work. Finely crush candy canes.
Stir chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave for 20 seconds to smooth. Spoon chocolate over popcorn. Crush and sprinkle candy canes on popcorn quickly.
Add a pinch of Maldon/finishing salt or sea salt. Put the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Serve the popcorn sheet broken up by hand.