Taste of Home Popcorn Owls Make Your Halloween Party a Hoot

Love the two flavors of salty and sweet together.  Add the whimsical factor these Taste of Home Popcorn Owls will bring to your Halloween party and you've got a winner! 

When I was young we ALWAYS made a point of stopping by the Laveau Dairy Farm on Halloween to trick or treat.  Ramona Laveau would make home made fudge and popcorn balls that were delicious (especially when you had a mom that never baked sweets)!  This recipe from Taste of Home brought back a wonderful Halloween holiday memory for me!

INGREDIENTS

•  5 quarts air-popped popcorn
• 2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons marshmallow creme
• 20 candy corn candies
• 20 orange candy slices
• 10 M&M's minis
• Shoestring black licorice

DIRECTIONS

• Place popcorn in a large oven-proof bowl; keep warm in oven at 200° In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vinegar until butter is melted. Immediately pour over popcorn; toss to coat.
• When mixture is cool enough to handle, quickly shape into five 3-1/4-in. balls and five 4-in. balls, dipping hands in cold water to prevent sticking. Flatten bottom of popcorn balls slightly to allow them to sit flat. Place a small ball on top of a large ball, forming the owl's head and body.
• Immediately decorate owl, using marshmallow creme to attach candies. Add candy corn for claws. Press the orange slices into sides for wings. Flatten and cut additional orange slices to make triangle ears and nose and 3/4-in. circular eyes. Press M&M's into orange circles to complete the eyes. Add a 3-in. licorice strip above the eyes. Yield: 5 owls.

Our Taste of Home Cooking School is this Wednesday, October 30.  A Taste of Home Culinary Specialist will be live on stage preparing TOH recipes.  Besides great ideas and a full goodie bag, there are TONS of prizes to be won.  Don't miss it!