Popcorn Bowl Cupcakes

LOOK at this idea Chandy found for Ryan's birthday party!!! Thank you to the Cake Queen for leading this amateur party horse to water.

(This photo is NOT mine!  I can't find who to credit)

I've spent several hours of my spare time turning these little cups...

Into these striped "popcorn buckets"...

I started my coloring project while watching t.v. the other night, but after some distracted marker slip-ups and a hand cramp, I took a different approach. Any time the kids sat down to color or I was waiting for them to finish breakfast or I had a spare 10 minutes of downtime, I'd pick up the marker and color a few cups. It helped pass the time yesterday when my grandmother called with her alphabetical list of "approved" baby boy name suggestions: "Aaron, Adam, Andrew, Anthony..." That was a long phone call; I got lots of cups colored!

After several moms scared me last night into doing a prototype of this labor-intensive cupcake, I made up a sample today.

I colored some mini-marshmallows with yellow food coloring (in a Ziplock bag), which I likely won't do for the party. The popcorn looked like cheddar-corn. I think white popcorn on top of white frosting will be fine. Plus my fingers won't turn yellow - BONUS!

I cut a criss-cross shape into the marshmallows (this will take a while for 48 cupcakes - enough for parents, too) but not completely through to the other side. Then I stuck the un-cut side into the frosting. Don't they flower out beautifully, just like a popcorn kernal?

Because I didn't want to make a whole batch of cupcakes for this one sample party cupcake, I cheated by frosting a Rise and Shine muffin. (that's the darkness you see peeking out from under the frosting!)

How cute will these be at Ryan's Carnival party in a couple of weeks!??!?