This snippet shows a particular type of detail added to an event: a reaction.
I topped the year in English and Mathematics, much to everyone's amazement.
To make a variation work you will need a connecting word or phrase like much to, and you can find some good examples of these types of words and phrases here: https://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/transition-words.html
I bought a giant sack of donuts, which I knew the others would love.
We won the 1200m relay, much to the surprise of our house.
He could be heard singing inside the boys’ toilets, to Mr Foxworthy’s obvious annoyance.
