You Will Adore and Exalt....

.... after you try this recipe!!

Seriously.

Monday I was walking through the grocery store and was surprised to see the shelves empty of all Halloween items. It's amazing how quickly merchants got Halloween/Autumn stuff off the shelves and moved Christmas in, isn't it?

Okay, it's not such a huge feat. By the time Halloween actually arrived, most of the shelf space was already dedicated to red/green/Santa stuff, with a teeny little section left for last minute Halloween shoppers -- like me who were desperately looking for little black spider rings to put on the dessert I was making for my daughter's Halloween dance date. (Without any luck, I might add.)

Anyhoo...

As I was walking past their holiday section I was stopped short by the display of holiday Hershey's Kisses. Who doesn't love the many flavors of Kisses available this time of year? I was thrilled when I saw this kind...

YUM!!! Candy Cane Hershey Kisses!!

Of course I had to buy not one, but two bags. (It's still early in the season. Gotta start slow.)

Their purpose is twofold. #1. Simply, to eat. Unwrapping one and popping it in your mouth. Oh dear, it's a slice of heaven right here in Florin.

And the #2 reason is why I'm writing this post. Here's how you make an easy delectable treat with these little guys:

Step 1: Pop about 3 poppers full of air popped popcorn. I usually pop it into a large brown paper grocery bag. (You can use microwave popcorn. I don't because I don't care for the taste.)

Step 2: Butter and salt to taste. Make it exactly the way you like buttered popcorn. I have Max take the bag full of popcorn and shake it while I pour the melted butter and shake the salt on. I think it gives it a more even coating.

Step 3: Unwrap the Kisses and put them in a large Ziploc bag. (For 3 poppers, I use the entire package of Kisses.) Carefully melt them in the microwave. I do it in small increments, squishing and mixing them up until they are fully melted. The first time is about a minute, then I do 30 seconds after that. Be careful. They get hot!!

Step 4: Cut a tiny little bit off the corner of the Ziploc bag. Max again shakes the paper bag while I squeeze the melted Kisses out of the Ziploc and onto the popcorn. Go slow and easy for a more even coating.

Step 5: Eat. I dare you to stop once you start!!!

(You can make this without the Kisses, it's just a little more labor intensive.

Before you start the process, you need a package of the starmint candies. Put 15-20 in a bag and smash them to smithereens. All you want is powder, no chunks (chunks hurt teeth) . (I usually have to double bag and wrap the bag in a towel and then I smash with a hammer.)

When that's finished, melt an entire bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave the same way you do the Kisses.

Drizzle the chocolate over the buttered/salted popcorn. IMMEDIATELY, before the chocolate sets, shake the mint powder over the popcorn.

The poor person shaking the bag gets tired because the bag gets quite heavy. But reassure him/her that it's worth the sacrifice!

Enjoy!! If you make this, let me know what you think! I'm sure you'll love it just as much as we do!