Ew. I know. But Bloody Brains score extremely high on the effort/impact scale: they take just a few minutes to make, and everybody will have something to say about them. (That something will probably be “ew.”)
Note: Popcorn balls are always best when they’re super-fresh, but you can make these up to a day in advance provided you wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container; the jelly will retain its shine really well.
“BLOODY BRAIN” POPCORN BALLS
What You Need:
- 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
- 5 cups mini marshmallows
- 6 tbsp butter
- Red and blue food coloring
- Strawberry jelly
What You Do:
- Pop the popcorn according to package instructions.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, then add the marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in as much red food coloring as you want (depending on whether you want a pinkish or red effect), then quickly add the popcorn and stir vigorously to combine.
- After the mixture has cooled for a couple of minutes (you want it to still be warm and pliable, but not too sticky to handle), lay out a large sheet of wax paper to use as a working surface. Use your hands to shape two oblong-shaped popcorn balls (about 1-inch long each), then – while the balls are still warm – press them together to form the two hemispheres of the brain. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your popcorn mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine the strawberry jelly with a few drops of red food coloring and a few drops of blue food coloring, to make it darker.
- Spoon a small amount of the jelly along the center of each brain.
- Let cool completely on wax paper.
