The struggle with my sweet tooth is real, guys. It’s always late at night (usually when I’m writing posts and working on blog stuff…coincidence?!) and I always have to have a sweet and salty combination. It’s a package deal, you can’t have just one without the other. Like Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Baby and Johnny. Gotta have both for things to just work.
You know what else is an amazing combination that clicks and makes your heart beat so fast and suddenly it’s like you get what Al Green’s been singing about forever?
Chocolate and pretzels.
Sidebar: My inner marketing/advertising nerd is all kinds of hopped up on Super Bowl commercials so can we just take a moment to fawn over Lindt’s Pretzel Bites packaging?! “Hello, I’m a handful” is a) adorable and b) scarily accurate. The font, the design, the colors, gah I seriously have a crush on this packaging!! You would think by studying marketing in college, I would be totally immune to marketing gimmicks. Nope. If anything I’m worse: I see on point branding and packaging and I just feel like that has to be rewarded, you know? Okay back to regularly scheduled programming.
Peanut butter pretzel kettle corn, do your thang.
Kettle corn is one of those things where the moment you detect the first trace of sugary, salty goodness in the arm, your senses kick into overdrive and become heightened and you’re a woman on a mission to get to the kettle corn stand as fast as humanly possible. I hate running but I will BOOK IT to the kettle corn stand at my hometown’s county fair. And it’s always a situation where for like a quarter more, you get about an extra 2 pounds of kettle corn so it’s a no brainer. And then you drag a plastic bag of kettle corn that’s roughly the same height as you home where you promptly devour it.
Until recently, my kettle corn experience was limited strictly to county fairs and very occasionally at Eastern Market during the summer. Until I learned how ridiculously easy it is to make kettle corn at home. It’s the best/worst thing ever. Sugar + canola oil + popcorn kernels + a sprinkle of salt is all that stands between you and heavenly kettle corn. Sounds pretty amazing, right?
IT GETS BETTER!
Because as we all know, my self-control is effectively nil and I’m a sugar fiend who needs to go big or go home. So I added a silky peanut butter drizzle and a handful of Lindt’s Pretzel Bites because it just seemed like what needed to happen. The result?
Meet my Valentine…
NOTE: I slightly tweaked this recipe from the ever-amazing Two Peas & Their Pod blog. Happy snacking!!
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 12 cup popcorn
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Lindt Pretzel Bites
- In a large skillet, add the oil, popcorn and sugar. Stir to thoroughly coat.
- As soon as one kernel starts to pop, lift the skillet gently of the burner and gently shake until all kernels have popped (bout 3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium height, combine the peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Drizzle the sauce over the kettle corn and fold in the Lindt Pretzel Bites
- Enjoy!
This post was sponsored by Lindt Chocolate®. All opinions and product sentiments are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep the DC Girl in Pearls party going!
That looks delicious! Chocolate covered pretzels are one of my favorite sweet and salty snacks!