Popcorn Cookies with Lots of Chocolate Chunks

These Popcorn Cookies are layered with big chunks of milk chocolate and crunchy salted popcorn for the ultimate sweet and salty cookie. 

The idea for these popcorn cookies all started with a stop at the grocery store. Every time I travel I make a point to grocery shop. I’m not really shopping for necessities. I’m shopping for interesting local fare.

So it was in Amsterdam that I stumbled upon Tony’s Chocolonely.

What is Tony’s Chocolonely?

We first must start with my visit to Amsterdam where Tony’s Chocolonely is headquartered.

So I stopped at the grocery store in Amsterdam and saw brightly colored labels wrapped around pretty massive bars of chocolate on the shelves. Of course you can imagine my excitement.

Tony’s Chocolonely bars were not hard to miss.  So big a small child might have a hard time carrying one around. A big outstretched hand just barely gets your fingers around these heavy bars of gold – really there’s gold inside! Well, in wrapper form which still makes it exciting.

After a little online research into the company, I was impressed with their mission to deliver 100% fair trade, slave-free chocolate.

What is fair trade and slave-free chocolate?

Tony’s Chocolonely is dedicated to producing fair trade chocolate which provides living wages to farmers in a slave free working condition. 

Did you know that many cocoa plantations use child labor?
Or worse yet child slavery?

When a child should be receiving an education, they are instead working alongside their parents in order to scrape by or are taken from their families and forced into modern day slavery situations.

Low wages and a global demand for cheap chocolate creates a system that encourages both of these practices.

Here are the numbers from Tony’s website:

• Approximately 2.5 million people work on cocoa plantations in Ghana and Ivory Coast
• The majority of these people—1.8 million—are children (some working legally)
• 460,000 of them are modern-day slaves – meaning forced, unpaid workers – including 15,000-30,000 children

Tony’s Chocolonely IS working on changing the chocolate industry.

Change in the Chocolate Industry

Teun van de Keuken aka Tony is a pioneer in the fair-trade, slave-free chocolate industry. 

Using his skills as a Dutch investigative reporter, in 2003 he went to great lengths to prosecute himself as a consumer of chocolate produced through child slavery and thus indirectly a supporter of criminal acts.

Eventually the Dutch courts chose not to convict him, but Tony’s story is wild and inspiring.

Not only does Tony’s produce fair trade chocolate – paying a living wage direct to farmers – they are pushing for systematic change in the entire industry.

Read more about their mission here.

How does Tony’s support fair-trade Chocolate?

Tony’s continues to push the envelope through their foundation and continued research into best practices within the fair trade, slave-free chocolate movement.

You can follow the progression of Tony’s Chocolonely on their timeline.

As it says on Tony’s website: 
Create Awareness. Lead by Example. Inspire to Act.

How to Make Popcorn Cookies

I bought Tony’s Discodip Milk Chocolate bar not really knowing what was in it. The name sounded like a great time. 

Turns out it is their 2015 limited edition milk chocolate popcorn bar and I’m a big fan. Since it’s not currently being sold on the U.S. webshop, I combined a bar of regular milk chocolate with sea salt popcorn and voila – Popcorn Cookies just like the Discodip bars!

You can take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and transform it with the addition of Tony’s chocolate + popcorn.

*UPDATE: You can now buy Tony’s Chocolonely bars at REI and World Market!

PIN THESE COOKIES!

Print

Popcorn Cookies with Lots of Chocolate Chunks

Prep Time

1 d

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 d 15 mins

 

Hands down my favorite chocolate bars, then made into a popcorn chocolate chip cookie.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip cookies

Servings: 32 cookies

Calories: 188 kcal

Author: Emily Brees | OatandSesame

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Rodelle vanilla extract
• 1 bar 6 oz, Tony's Chocolonely Milk Chocolate Bar, cut into chunks
• 4 cups popped sea salt popcorn

Instructions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients. Mixing until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chunks and popcorn.
5. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Try not to eat the batter from the refrigerator while you wait.
6. BAKE TIME! Remove dough from fridge and let sit for 15 minutes so it's easier to scoop.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
8. Scoop/roll into 1.5" - 2" golf ball sized balls and place onto baking sheet.
9. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes.
10. Call some friends. Share. Talk about slave free chocolate. High five.

Notes

Adapted from my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe at NYTimes.com

Nutrition Facts

Popcorn Cookies with Lots of Chocolate Chunks

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 188

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

sidenote | Tony’s Chocolonely has a US headquarters in Portland, OR! Lucky Portlanders!

DISCLAIMER | I chose to highlight Tony’s Chocolonely for my Source{d) section on OatandSesame.com by my own volition. I was not compensated in any way for my opinions – although I did receive free chocolate for myself and for a giveaway. All opinions are my own and all facts and figures are directly from Tony’s Chocolonely’s website and have not been independently verified by OatandSesame.com.

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