If popcorn balls and chocolate chip cookies had a baby, it would be these popcorn cookies. They're the perfect salty-sweet combo, with a wonderful chewy texture.
Popcorn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unpopped white popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 pinch salt
Cookie Dough
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add popcorn kernels. As soon as one of the kernels pops, put a lid on the skillet and shake the pan often. Continue to cook until most kernels have popped. Pour popped popcorn into a bowl, and discard any unpopped or partially popped kernels. Drizzle popcorn with melted butter and pinch of salt and toss to coat.
Once popcorn is cool enough to handle, use your hands to break it into pieces, about the size of a pea or smaller. This should yield approximately 1 1/2 cups of crushed popcorn. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
For cookie dough, beat 3/4 cup butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until just combined. Fold in crushed popcorn, pecans, and white chocolate chips.
Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 1 pan at a time in the preheated oven until golden brown on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove cookies from the oven and immediately place a large round cookie cutter (slightly larger than the cookie) over the top of one of the cookies and swirl it. Quickly but gently, swirl the cookie with the cookie cutter until it is perfectly round and slightly thicker in texture. Repeat this process with the remaining cookies, making sure to work fast, as this must be done while the cookies are still hot out of the oven (this process is known as “scooting” the cookies; see note).
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
