I came across this recipe by accident as I was browsing the site. I have been making these treats for over 40 years (got the recipe from a lady I used to babysit for) and not until now did I realize how popular they must be! With slight variations in measurements my recipe is the same except I also add 1/2 tsp of almond extract. I have never had a problem working with them as I have always been lucky enough to find another set of hands to put the red hots on while I drop the sticky mixture onto waxed paper! (Buttered hands really help!) They are a pretty and colorful addition to any Christmas cookie plate. I'ver never known anyone who didn't like these and all these years later my own kids, now 26 and 28, ask for reassurance every year that I'll be making them when they come home for Christmas. An easy, delicious and very sentimental Christmas tradition.
I'm not a huge fan of marshmellowy things but I'm giving them five starts because they are SO adorable!! When I first read the recipe I thought it would take forever but it only took about 30-45 minutes from start to finish. I used rice crispies for the cereal and to decorate I used colored sprinkles and cherry chips. I used pull & peel cherry licorice for the bows it seemed to be the perfect length and I was amazed at how it sticks to itself - when you shape a bow you don't have to 'tie' it - just press it between your fingers for a few seconds and it stays!
Things I learned about these cookies from making them: you can wet your fingers with water instead of butter/oil when shaping them I had a tough time getting them to really harden and hold their shape...make double sure that your wax paper is on the correct side and wait awhile before moving them. I used multi-color nonpariels instead of cinnamon dots (personal preference but I don't care for that much cinnamon candy crunch in my cookies) Plan to work fast...they become stickier as time passes If you want to make it even more child-friendly I suspect you could melt the butter and marshmellows in the microwave though I didn't try it this way. Good tasting...similar to rice krispy treats for sure!
My family loves this recipe. It is messy and I could never manage making the little wreaths. My solution was to make one large wreath and decorate it with the candies. We just slice pieces off it when we want to eat it. It can be the centerpiece of the dessert table.
I remember these...my mother used to make them when I was a kid. We always loved them and they add a lot of color to a cookie plate. I recommend to butter your hands when forming the wreaths and lay on a greased sheet of waxed paper until they have had a chance to set and cool. Also they are easy to form into wreaths but you need to hurry. If they have a chance to cool they will be impossible. The best way I have found is to spoon a glob onto the waxed paper and use your fingers form a wreath by pulling from the middle out kind of hard to explain.
I first made these in the 3rd grade with my classmates - our teacher taught us how to make them. I've made them for many Christmases since! You can also make one big wreath or mix in the cinnimon candies and drop spoonfuls on the waxed paper to make "holly bushes". Also you can also keep the mixture warm in a slow cooker while you're shaping the wreaths.
I've been making these for over 20 years (minus the vanilla) and I think I've made them every Christmas. I love them my daughter loves them and so do my co-workers.:-) I don't shape them as wreaths either just holly "lumps".:P They are still very festive when decorated with the candies. I put them on wax paper that is sprayed with cooking spray that always seems to work best to avoid a mess. I use a whole bag of miniature marshmallows and just add corn flakes until the mixture is coated and there is a good ratio of flakes to the goo.
My Grandmother used to make these every Christmas! In fact it just wasn't Christmas without them (or church window cookies and her fudge). Now it's up to me to carry on her tradition but mine didn't turn out quite as pretty.....
I made these for our church's tree decorating party last night after a week of baking cookies out the wazoo! These were a beautiful addition and very tasty. I added a little almond extract too for a little more flavor but got to thinking you could add peppermint extract or even anise. ( Helps to bring the flavors of the season out ya know?) Work QUICKLY when adding the cornflakes and coating them! I added a touch of white decorating crystals on the tops along with the cinnamon candies. Oh yeah remember to butter your hands when shaping them in wreaths!
These were ok but there just didn't seem to be enough marshmallow mixture to cover all the cornflakes and we ended up with "bald" spots.
