These popcorn bars showcase several sweet elements, including peanut butter and chocolate. (Courtesy of Bruce Wolf)

Kitchen Kush: Popcorn dessert bars (recipe)

I couldn’t resist doing a Rice Krispies treat-like thing, but wanted to change it up a bit. I thought of a popcorn cookie I made for my upcoming weeded e-book, and decided to create a popcorn bar. Medicated, of course.

And it was a good thing I did. I made two: one with regular popcorn and one with caramel corn.


More sweet Kitchen Kush recipes: Blondies, Sour Cream Coffee Cake and GF Zucchini Bread.


I was sure I would prefer the caramel version, and it was great, but the plain popcorn was excellent. It sort of did its own caramelizing, not too crisp, not too soft.

I decided to put a layer of chocolate chips and peanuts in the middle and some mini-marshmallows and chips on the top. I wanted to gild the lily. Consider it gilded!

Twice-cooked popcorn bars

Makes 9-12 portions

8 tablespoons cannabutter

6 cups marshmallows or mini marshmallows, don’t count, it’s a bag!

5 tablespoons peanut butter

7-8 cups popped caramel corn or popcorn

1 cup peanuts, chopped

1 cup mini chocolate chips

TOPPING

½ cup mini marshmallows

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large saucepan melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir until fully melted. Stir in the peanut butter.

3. Add the popcorn and mix until evenly coated. Spread half the mixture into prepared pan. With damp clean hands, press the popcorn down and try to make even thickness. Sprinkle with the peanuts and the chocolate chips.

4. Press the remaining popcorn mixture on top of the peanuts and chocolate.

5. Sprinkle with the remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool and then chill in refrigerator before cutting.