Popcorn and Caramel Candy Cones
A fun and scrumptious finger food dessert filled to the brim with sweet and salty goodness.
Ingredients
For the Candy Cones:
- 5 ice cream cones regular “cake” type cones with a flat bottom
- 4 ounces vanilla candy coating 2 squares of Almond Bark
- Decorative candy sprinkles
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Popcorn and Caramel Filling:
- 8 cups cooked popcorn, lightly salted (equals about 1/4 cup uncooked popcorn)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 30 wrapped squares caramel candies unwrap each caramel candy
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Heath English Toffee Bits
Instructions
For the Candy Coated Cones:
- Lay a piece of parchment paper over a cookie sheet. Set aside.
- Coating the Top of the Cone with Vanilla Candy - To a ramekin or small bowl with a diameter slightly larger than the top of an ice cream cone, add one of the vanilla candy coating squares.
- Melt the candy coating in a microwave for 30 second bursts making sure to stir between each 30 seconds.
- Dip the top of the ice cream cone in the candy coating. The bowl may need to be tilted slightly so the coating covers the area that is about an inch to two inches from the top of the cone.
- Then right away (before the candy sets) sprinkle decorative candies and, or mini chocolate chips on top of the coating.
- Coating the Bottom of the Cone with Candy - Next, set the bottom of the cone in the vanilla candy coating tilting the bowl slightly so the coating covers the area that is about an inch to two inches from the bottom of the cone.
- Candy sprinkles can also be added to the vanilla candy coating on the bottom.
- Set the bottom of the cone on the parchment paper and let the candy coating set (about 30 minutes).
- The candy coating on the bottom helps to give the cone a better "footing" so that it doesn't tip over when the popcorn is stacked on the top.
- Coating the Remaining Cones - After dipping two of the cones in the coating, add the other square of candy coating to the bowl and melt it in the microwave and repeat the process of coating the top and bottom of the cones.
For the Popcorn, Caramel and Chocolate Filling:
- Melting the Caramel - To a medium size pan, add the caramels. Heat the pan on low heat and stir constantly.
- To the pan, add water and continuously stir.
- Once the caramels are melted, remove the pan from the heat and set aside for a quick moment.
- Melting the Chocolate - In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips and melt them in a microwave for 30 second bursts making sure to stir between each 30 seconds.
- Filling the Cones - Inside of each cone, drizzle caramel in the bottom (about 2 teaspoons of caramel in each cone).
- In each cone, sprinkle toffee bits (about 1 teaspoon per cone). Then drizzle melted chocolate inside each cone (about 2 teaspoons in each cone).
- Add popcorn to each cone until it reaches the top (of the cone).
- Then drizzle more of the caramel and chocolate, and top with more toffee bits.
- Next add as much popcorn to the top of the chocolate that will stick.
- Topping Off the Cones - To form a mound on top of each cone, add more kernels of popcorn by dipping them in the caramel so they’ll stick. When adding them, try to make an overall shape that looks like a scoop of ice cream.
- Lastly, drizzle caramel and chocolate over the popcorn and top with toffee bits. The caramel hardens quickly so it may need to be warmed on the stove (on low heat stirring constantly) a couple times in between making the cones.
- Let the caramel and chocolate harden on top of the popcorn before serving (about an hour).