To the world I’m known as The Cake Boss, but at home I’m Dad. I absolutely love celebrating my kids’ birthdays and it should come as no surprise that food is a focal point at any Valastro party. In case you don’t know, my wife Lisa and I have four amazing kids: Sofia, Buddy Jr., Marco, and Carlo and a very large extended famiglia. Needless to say, we celebrate a lot of birthday parties.
Here I am sharing with you one of my favorite, simple birthday party recipes:
Sweet & Salty Snack: White Chocolate Birthday Popcorn
Of course there will be cake at any birthday party, but it’s a party so let’s up the ante a bit by adding that little extra something. I’ve found that White Chocolate Birthday Popcorn is a crowd pleaser every time with our famiglia. It’s that combination of salty popcorn with sweet white chocolate that is mouthwatering. To top it off, I coat the whole batch in rainbow sprinkles for an extra festive look.
It’s such a simple dish for any occasion, here’s the recipe:
- 4 ounces of good-quality white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
- 6 cups popped, lightly salted popcorn (no butter)
- ¼ cup Cake Boss rainbow sprinkles
- Kosher salt
Directions:
- Bring a medium saucepan filled a quarter of the way up with water to a boil, then reduce heat to low to keep it simmering.
- Then, place the white chocolate chips in a separate stainless steel bowl, set it over the sauce pan of simmering water (acting as what’s known as a double boiler) to melt the chips. Continually stir the chips to prevent burning.
- Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat, and spoon it over the popcorn immediately, tossing it to coat.
- Sprinkle Cake Boss sprinkles and Kosher salt over coated popcorn.
- Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spread the popcorn over them in a single layer. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sprinkles. Let it stand until cooled and set, about two hours.
- It’s best served right away, but can be stored in a cold place or refrigerated in an airtight container for 24 hours.
Check out more of my favorite birthday snacks and foods in my latest book, Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss.
Buddy Valastro, known as The Cake Boss, runs Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken N.J. His series, The Cake Boss, airs on TLC. In addition, Valastro has an extensive line of consumer products, books, and classes.