Christmas Wreaths

I'd like to dedicate this post to my little sister Bente, who lives for these little corn flake wreath Cookies. Ok, maybe she doesn't live for them, that would be strange and would require an intervention. But she sure likes them a lot, and so of course I had to add them into my Christmas baking repertoire. I don't know why, considering she lives in Wisconsin. I guess because she likes these a lot and I like her a lot.

Christmas corn flake wreaths are a really fun and perfect addition to your holiday cookie collection. Bright green Christmas wreaths that taste like rice krispie treats, but a little bit better. They are also a perfect choice if your oven breaks and the oven man comes 187 separate times and can't seem to fix the problem, as these are a stovetop item.  I have no hard feelings there.

Our oven has since been replaced, but I plan to make another batch of these this weekend. They are a nice break from the traditional sugar and ginger cookies.

Recipe
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but highly recommended)
4-5 cups Corn Flakes
Green food coloring
Red cinnamon candies, red M&Ms, or something else red for the holly berries

Start by melting the marshmallows and butter in a large pot over low heat, stirring often. Don't burn the marshmallows, you will ruin Christmas.

Once the marshmallows and butter have reached a nice, smooth consistency, mix in the vanilla and almond flavorings. Stir in lots of food coloring. You don't want to have a dead-looking wreath.

Lay out aluminum foil or parchment paper to prepare the wreaths on. Mix in the Corn Flakes, stirring until completely coated. I don't have a picture here because I grabbed some corn flakes and had marshmallows all over my hands. And mouth.

Turn off the heat. Drop the corn flake mixture in spoonfuls onto your prepared surface, and poke a hole in the middle to form wreaths. I find this works best right after you drop them onto the surface. They start to get sticky quickly.  You will have to do a little manual wreath-forming as well. I have not found this process to be the easiest thing in the world, but they always end up looking cute so don't worry.  Place the cinnamon candies or M&Ms in clusters of 3 on the bottom of the wreath. Again, do this before the marshmallows dry.

And that's it! Let them sit for a couple hours to firm up, and eat away. These stay good for a really long time, so you can make them really early in the baking season!