Baby Rattle Popcorn Balls are the perfect treat for showering that new momma to be!
Happy Mother’s Day!!! I’m so grateful to have this day to celebrate not only my own amazing mother but all mothers. I love this YouTube video that depicts how important and exhausting of a job being a mom is. The job description of a mom looks pretty terrible with all the constant demands it requires but oh it is so rewarding! Second to marrying my husband, choosing to have children and become a mother was the best one I’ve ever made.
I’m so grateful for my own mom and mother-in-law and that I get to be a mother, but I’m also grateful for the other mothers out there. I’m grateful for all the moms that teach their children to be kind, hard working, honest, self-sufficient, love learning, and so much more so I can have friends, associates, neighbors, doctors, store clerks,… with these good qualities. Moms are the glue to our society and we’d be lost (probably dead) without them.
So, it’s having children (whether you give birth, adopt, foster…) that makes one a momma so let’s talk about celebrating those new mommies!!!
Last month I helped host a baby shower for friend who is having her first girl. She has been an awesome mom to her little boy so I’m so excited to see her with a cute baby girl. And the best part is that my little girl comes a month later! They are going to be best friends for sure! Anyway, to add to the cuteness of the party I made these Baby Rattle Popcorn Balls as party favors which happened to double as decoration because they were just so darn adorable. I’ve seen a lot on Pinterest of “Ready to Pop” baby shower themes and these would be just perfect for that!
They are actually quite simple to make. I simply made my mom’s popcorn ball recipe that I’ve been eating since I was a kid and then after shaping it into a ball I stuck a paper straw in. You can do whatever color you want and go way darker but I wanted to keep it a pale pink to match the ribbon I already had. I love the pink decorative paper straws but the gold were my favorite because they pull out the color of the popcorn kernels and look all shabby chic. So after sticking them with straws and cooling completely I (definitely ate one) wrapped them up in cellophane and tied them with some ribbon and voila! As cute as a button and quite delicious!
You can prop them up in jar, soda bottles, vases, or just have them laying on a table. Enjoy!
Baby Rattle Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups popcorn kernels
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup white corn syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- Food Coloring, I like the gel kind but the liquid works just fine
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining each with wax paper.
- In an air popper machine, pop the popcorn kernels. Sift through and remove any unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a very large bowl (or use two bowls or a clean empty sink).
- In a large pot (5 quart), combine sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil for about 4-5 minutes until bubbles begin to become larger and fewer. It will still be thin. Or if you have a candy thermometer, cook until 235 degrees and then remove from heat and stir in vanilla and food coloring (dip a piece of popcorn in the caramel to test how the color will look on the popcorn and adjust as desired).
- Pour over popcorn and then mix with a rubber spatula until all the popcorn is evenly coated.
- Rub about a teaspoon of softened butter all over your hands ( I like to wear my rubber dish washing gloves and just rub butter on them) and form about 22 softball size balls (apply more butter as popcorn starts sticking to your hands). Pack gently/loosely so they aren't hard when you bite into them. Set balls on prepared pans and then while still warm, insert paper straws (you can start a hole with a wooden skewer if needed). Allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, wrap each popcorn ball in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.
These are so cute! Such a fun statement for a baby shower tablescape!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
These are so adorable!! What a fun idea!