A retro vodka-based cocktail, the French Martini is sweet, fruity, and tastes a bit like cotton candy due to the combination of black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.
Tag: Valentine’s Day
Sweet & Salty Valentine’s Day Popcorn Mix
Salty popcorn, peanuts, and pretzels are drizzled with dark chocolate and topped with sprinkles for a Valentine’s Day snack both adults and kids will love!
Can you believe that January is already almost over? I feel like this month has flown! We finally got the holidays wrapped up – decorations down, thank you notes finished… and now we’re in full prep mode for February! That’s when birthday season seems to start for our group of family and friends as well as Valentine’s Day festivities.
I feel kind of lame but I don’t have a ton of holiday recipes on this blog. I have Christmas covered – it’s my favorite time of year but every other holiday? Not nearly as much. I have a few older recipes that are begging for new photos and a big update (i.e. molten lava cake for two) but otherwise it’s pretty much Valentine’s Day Blondies (huge hit with the kids) and a dinner for two – Jerk Scallops with Pineapple Salsa over Coconut Rice.
That brings me to today’s recipe my kids LOVED this sweet and salty popcorn snack. No joke. I was swatting away little hands multiple times, usually both before and after dinner.
This Sweet & Salty Valentine’s Day Popcorn mix is super easy to make. The chocolate adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the salty snack mix. And you can make this all year round, swapping out the sprinkles for something more seasonal, or leaving them out all together.
Recipe Notes:
- I used Cupid’s Arrow sprinkles from Sprinkle Pop – their sprinkles are the absolute cutest and there’s some for every occasion!
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Sweet & Salty Valentine's Day Popcorn Mix
Salty popcorn, peanuts, and pretzels are drizzled with dark chocolate and topped with sprinkles for a Valentine's Day snack both adults and kids will love!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 281 kcal
Ingredients
- 7-8 c. salted popcorn
- 1 1/2 c. pretzels (small shapes or crushed slightly)
- 1 c. unsalted salted peanuts
- 7 oz. dark chocolate candy melts melted
- 2 oz. Valentine's sprinkles
Instructions
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. First, spread out popcorn. Then evenly top with peanuts and pretzels.
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Drizzle snack mix with about half of the melted dark chocolate candy melts and sprinkle with half of the sprinkles. Allow to set, about 5 minutes.
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Once set, use a spatula or clean hands to gently stir and flip snack mixture. Drizzle with more chocolate and top with sprinkles. (You may want to reserve a little of both to stir things up one more time.)
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Once you've used up all of the chocolate and sprinkles, and chocolate has set completely, serve or store in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition calculated based on 8 cups of popcorn. This makes about 10 1-cup servings.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day inspiration?
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- Double Chocolate Caramel Cookies by The Freshman Cook
- Fennel, Pomegranate, and Arugula Salad by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pebernødder by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Red Velvet Brownies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Shrimp with Champagne Butter Sauce by Our Good Life
- Smoked Gouda Fondue by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Splenda Chocolate Cupcakes by Palatable Pastime
- Stuffed Country Chicken Breasts by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Sweet & Salty Valentine’s Day Popcorn mix by Books n’ Cooks (above!)
- Valentine Cookie Pops by Family Around the Table
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Valentine’s Day Blondies
A sweet, soft bar cookie, these Valentine’s Day Blondies are a hit with adults and kids alike. Bonus – change out the M&Ms for any holiday!
You guys, I have a confession to make. In all of my years of baking, I’ve never made a blondie. It’s not that I don’t like them – I do! I do my happy dance every time The Cookie Man (as we affectionately call a friend) brings them to our monthly game night. I pin and bookmark loads of blondie recipes, but somehow, they always get overlooked when I plan my baking.
So a week or two ago, as my daughter was started to get stir-crazy one weekend, I finally made a batch. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say I supervised the making of a batch. Miss. Hazelnut – 4 in just a few weeks – did almost everything herself. I was super impressed with how well she did cracking eggs, measuring and pouring, and stirring everything together. Really, the only help I provided was leveling some measuring cups and helping her scrape the bottom of the bowl. I love that she’s getting older now and actually able to help in the kitchen. And she loves that special time with me (or with my mom, who visits often), when we can keep her little brother distracted with something else.
These blondies were a hit with everyone, especially the kiddos, who were quite generous with the M&Ms. But I’m not surprised. It’s a Smitten Kitchen recipe, so of course we loved it!
Recipe Note: I used a spatula and hand-mixed the batter for the blondies, but feel free to use a hand or stand mixer.
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Valentine’s Day Blondies
A sweet, soft bar cookie, these Valentine’s Day Blondies are a hit with adults and kids alike. Bonus – change out the M&Ms for any holiday!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 24
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter melted; plus more for pan
- 2 c. brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c. Valentine's M&Ms a little less than a 10 oz. bag
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.
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In a large bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and stir until combined. Stir in salt and flour. Finally, fold in about half of the M&Ms, adding more if desired.
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Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining M&M, more or less, as you'd like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until middle is set and edges are beginning to brown.
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Allow to cool before cutting.
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Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
This recipe was adapted from How to Cook Everything via Smitten Kitchen.
