We are nibbling our way around Las Vegas at this very moment, but oh the memories of this cookie are lingering, and I’m planning on a batch as soon as we get home.
Chewy gluten free cookies full of salted caramel popcorn morsels and sweet white chocolate chips. These are a combination of two of my favourite childhood treats!
Have you ever had the pleasure of eating Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs? If you haven’t, I’m sorry, but I do hope you have your own favourite sticky, caramel-coated popcorn treat. Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs were an 80s favourite, but they’ve never gone out of style.
For these cookies I made my own salted caramel popcorn because it’s super, super easy (that’s dangerous knowledge for our waistlines I know) and then I mixed it into chewy, brown sugary, buttery, cookie dough with some white chocolate chips. The caramel popcorn coating melts slightly as the cookies bake creating pools of sticky salted caramel perfection. Drooling.
I sent these home with my Mum and Dad to thank them for being our taxi to and from the airport. A day later I got a photo of the empty container. All gone. Yes, they are that good. And my parents have a sweet tooth. See! It’s genetic! Every butter, caramel-soaked, white chocolate studded fantasy you have is answered in these cookies. And I only got to eat one. One. And my house smelled like these cookies for days. If you aren’t into scented candles or air-spray contraptions, just bake a batch of these. You will drive your neighbours wild. And probably find yourself sneaking to the cookie jar for just one more…
Bite into this cookie and your teeth first meet chewy cookie dough, then crunchy popcorn pieces, super sweet chocolate chips and, if you are lucky, a little pool of molten caramel. Be generous with these cookies. Share the happiness and gobble up some of this biscuits of bliss! Although, it is totally acceptable to hoard the whole batch for yourself and eat them while hiding in your closet with a good book and a glass of cold milk. I won’t tell anyone.
Salted Caramel Popcorn and White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten free | Makes about 18 cookies | Preparation Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes | Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.
Tip: to make these extra quick you can use pre-made caramel popcorn.
Warning: this recipe involves melting sugar. Molten sugar is incredibly hot. BE CAREFUL when handling the caramel and if making this with kids be sure to keep little fingers out of the way. Take it from someone who had third-degree burns from making caramel, okay?
Ingredients
For the salted caramel popcorn
- 4 cups air-popped popcorn
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 50 grams butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the cookies
- 50 grams sorghum flour
- 50 grams buckwheat flour
- 40 grams brown rice flour
- 35 grams white rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 120 grams butter, softened
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- First, make the popcorn. Place the air-popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
- Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. The sugar will begin to melt in a few minutes. Gently shake the pan to mix the molten sugar around the pot. When it starts turning a deep honey colour remove from the heat and whisk any un-melted sugar until it dissolves.
- Add butter and whisk until is incorporated. Add salt. Pour caramel over popcorn and use two wooden spoons to toss and mix the popcorn until it is coated in the caramel mixture. Do not use your hands as the sugar will be incredibly hot. Set popcorn aside to cool while you make the cookie batter.
- Weigh sorghum flour, buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, white rice flour, and baking soda into a medium mixing bowl and whisk them until well combined.
- In the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer) beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed add whisked dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Using a wooden spoon mix in popcorn and white chocolate chips.
- Using your hands form heaped tablespoonfuls of batter into balls and place on prepared baking trays. Leave about 6cm between cookies to allow for spreading. You may need to bake the cookies in two batches depending on the size of your baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes or until they are spread out and the edges are golden. These cookies will still be incredibly soft when they come out of the oven. This accounts for the chewiness. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the trays before removing and serving or storing.
