Cookies and Creme Popcorn

My sister-in-law Cindy got married a few weeks ago. You should know that my husband is one of her SEVEN older brothers. SEVEN!! She's had built in bodyguards from day one! Luckily the guy she married is a rock star and brother-approved. I guess that's mostly lucky for him. I would not want to be on the bad side of seven older brothers!

The reception, however, was the work of SEVEN sister-in-laws and our amazing and fearless leader - my mother-in-law. Being one of the two sister-in-laws who lives out of state, I was mostly out of the loop about what was going on for the reception. I had my jobs: hair and nails for the bride. But my LOVE was helping in the kitchen!! The food theme was popcorn and lemonade. Very country and so adorable. The tablescape turned out amazing (see below) and the popcorn was a hit! There was caramel, chili cheese, peanut butter, and (the star of the show) cookies and crème!

My sister-in-law Kristen was the popcorn chef and I watched her make her batch of Cookies and Crème Popcorn and saw how easy it was! I had to figure out the measurements, and I found what I like. If you want more chocolate add more! More cookies? Do it! I'm thinking I'll try Peanut Butter Oreos next time!!

The recipe is SO easy. And you don't have to get married or attend a reception to enjoy it! We've made it in our house for movie night and also to bag up for gifts. I made it for staff appreciation week and I've had so many requests for the recipe. So here it goes:

Don't you love the classic colors and the gorgeous food? And those flowers?? The whole thing was so cute! 

First you pop two bags of kettle corn (regular or low calorie - whatever). Don't burn the popcorn!! You'll want to dump the bags into a big bowl, shake the popcorn to get all the kernels to the bottom, and then transfer the popcorn to another big bowl, leaving the kernels behind. Nothing ruins a good bowl of popcorn like breaking your teeth on a kernel! Then you want to use a food processor (I used my Magic Bullet) to finely grind up 20 Oreo cookies.

Dump the Oreo crumbs into the popcorn and blend.

Melt 12 oz of vanilla candy melts (I used Wilton brand from Michael's) for a minute on high in the microwave. Stir. Heat again for 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Pour onto popcorn and mix mix mix!

Spread out the popcorn onto wax paper-lined cookie sheets until cooled completely. Break apart and devour. I also like to coarsely chop a handful of extra Oreos to mix into the popcorn bowl.

Yum!! So addicting!

 

Cookies and Crème Popcorn

by Girls in Aprons

 

2 bags microwave kettle corn

20 Oreo cookies, finely blended

12 oz. vanilla flavored candy melts (like Wilton)

 

Microwave popcorn according to package directions. Pour bags into a big bowl and shake it several times to remove the kernels to the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the popcorn to another big bowl and discard the kernels.

 

In a food processor (a blender doesn't work too well) grind up the 20 Oreos into fine crumbs. Mix crumbs with popcorn.

 

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the candy melts on high or one minute. Stir. Heat for another 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Pour over the popcorn, mixing with a spoon until well combined. Spread out onto two wax paper-lined cookie sheets until completely cooled. If you find you have a lot of Oreo crumbs at the bottom of your popcorn bowl, I just sprinkle it over the cooling popcorn. I don't believe in wasted Oreos!! Break apart and serve.

 



Stuffed French Toast

Let's face it, even though I love to cook and bake, there are times I just don't want to make dinner. Whether it's a time thing or a lazy thing, but sometimes I don't want to cook anything even if it's already been planned.

Enter the time-saver: Breakfast for Dinner.

I know this isn't breaking news. Every one has breakfast for dinner, right? But sometimes I feel guilty making plain ol' pancakes (again) or boring frozen waffles (even if I try to jazz them up with peanut butter or something).

My favorite thing to do lately is Stuffed French Toast. The best thing about this meal is that you can tailor this to each person's likes and dislikes. You can make them sweet or savory and just have fun with it. And it was easy to throw together. I had everything in my pantry and refrigerator ready to go and it was on the table so fast. This is also super easy for breakfast, so maybe surprise your family one morning!

Here I did whipped cream cheese (easier to spread) and strawberry jam, drizzled with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar. Hey, I never said it was super duper healthy. Serve with a side of fruit and you'll feel better :)

Some other stuffing ideas:

 PB&J

peanut butter and Nutella

marshmallow creme and Nutella

Fluffernutter (marshmallow creme and PB)

cheese and bacon

bacon, tomato and avocado (savory Stuffed French Toast!)

The possibilities are endless. Just use what you have and top it off with what you want.

Start with your ingredients. Some of the ingredients might be tricky to keep in (tomato, bacon, etc) but I'll just show what I did. I smeared cream cheese on both sides (A) because it's good and (B) because it makes a good "glue" for everything. Then I added some jelly. 

Smoosh together and dip in your egg mixture. Use both hands and be kind of careful, You basically want to make sure the egg doesn't get inside the filling since that party won't really be getting cooked, just warmed.

And I love using Texas Toast for my French toast! It's thick and yummy. I use Franz bread here in the NW, but any thick sliced bread will do.

Spray your pan with Pam (or whatever spray works for you) and cook on both sides until golden brown.

Yummmm. Something about cream cheese and jam oozing out of my French toast is delightful. And Nutella really brings everything up a notch, doesn't it?

Stuffed French Toast

by Girls in Aprons

6 eggs

splash of milk

dash of cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

Put ingredients together in a shallow bowl (I use a pie dish) and wisk with a fork until combined.

Texas Toast (or other thick sliced bread)

Whipped cream cheese

Strawberry Jam

Nutella

Powdered Sugar

Heat your pan to medium heat and spray your with nonstick cooking spray.

Start with two slices of bread and smear some cream cheese on each slice, top one slice with jam and press the two sides together. Carefully dip each side of the "sandwich" into your egg mixture, making sure not to get the egg into the cream cheese/jam.

 Place your French Toast onto the pan, cooking each side until golden brown. Top with a drizzle of Nutella and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Serves 4-6