Panther Popcorn Pops

It is Super Bowl week, and that is pretty much all anyone is talking about! Especially if you live in North Carolina, like I do! So these Panther Popcorn Pops are doing double duty. I get to show my love for the Panther’s and decorate my party table! And what’s even better is that they are so much fun to make! Start with a simple popcorn ball, add a few drizzles of my new favorite colors, and you have a fun, festive centerpiece for your party! Go Panthers!

Panther Popcorn Pops

(printable recipe)
(makes 10 pops)

2 bags Microwave Popcorn

1 cup Sugar

1 cup light Corn Syrup

1/4 cup Water

3 tablespoons Butter

3 ounces Warm Water

2 1/2 tablespoons Meringue Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1 pound Confectioner’s Sugar

Sticks for pops

Styrofoam

Shot glasses

Use a heavy bottomed pan and mix together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook until the candy thermometer reaches soft ball stage, which is 235 degrees. Cook popcorn, and remove all uncooked kernels.

Immediately remove pan from heat, and mix in butter. Pour mix over popcorn and stir until all popcorn is covered.

Once popcorn has cooled a little, start making small popcorn balls.

Place one of the sticks into each popcorn ball.

Lay on a piece of parchment paper and let dry overnight, or several hours. Cover tray with saran wrap.

Use blocks of styrofoam to anchor the popcorn balls. Cover the blocks with plastic wrap to ensure that when the popcorn balls are decorated, frosting that falls on the blocks won’t damage them.

Make the frosting by placing warm water and meringue powder in a large mixer bowl. Mix together with a whisk for 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and whisk again for 30 seconds. Add confectioners sugar all at once and mix on low for 10 minutes. Once the frosting is mixed, make sure to keep it covered. Separate what you will need into a small container. Mix some frosting black, some blue, and leave some white. These pops don’t use a lot of frosting, but it will depend on how many you are making. Drizzle frosting all over and around popcorn pops. Let dry.

I am using 4 of the pops for a table centerpiece, so I placed styrofoam in each little shot glass, and covered the styrofoam with lots of curly ribbon. The others I covered in plastic and tied blue, black and white ribbons around them for guests.

Have a great Weekend!

GO PANTHERS!