Add Dark Chocolate To This Classic Snack For An Elevated Bite

There is nothing as satisfying to your taste buds as a sweet and salty flavor pairing. But really — it's science: our taste buds actually know to look for sweet and salty flavors, and there are even certain specific papillae (the fancy name for taste buds) that enhance sweet foods when the sugars and salt hit our tongue at the same time. It's the reason humans have gone so far as to add potato chips to our cookies. For an easy way to satisfy this craving without diving into too much junk food, drizzle some melted dark chocolate over your favorite salty popcorn.

A good way to evenly melt chocolate is using the double boiler method; place chocolate in a heat-safe dish, and place the dish over a pot of boiling water, then stir until it's melted. For a quick solution, you can also microwave the chocolate in short intervals, such as 15-30 seconds, and stir in between. For the ultimate smooth and rich chocolate, add butter while it melts to prevent coagulating. To evenly distribute the chocolate, you can set it out in a shallow dish or even on a sheet pan, and drizzle the chocolate over top without mixing. If you're using a deeper bowl, drizzle the chocolate on top, then gently mix it to coat every piece of popcorn.

You can enjoy this method two ways: Eat it immediately for a gooey-yet-crunchy snack, or let the chocolate sit out until it's fully hardened around the popcorn. But melting the chocolate in the first place does require a little more cleanup because of the melting process. For an easier way to combine the two, break the chocolate into small chunks, and toss it in with the popcorn without melting it at all. Another quick option is to toss in some chocolate chips, which saves you from having to break the chocolate apart. You're left with the same flavor pairing, but none of the melting or waiting for the chocolate to harden. It becomes more of a snack mix.

Sea salt is a great way to bring out the chocolate's sweetness, so if you grabbed a box of unsalted microwave popcorn at the store, then consider adding a few salty flakes to top it off. You can also build a sweet and spicy kick with this snack by adding a dash or two of dried chili pepper seasoning.