5 GOLD-EN ...........wreaths??

Okay, so the wreaths are not really golden, unless you don't add the food coloring. :) These are so festive for Christmas! You can use crisp rice cereal, but this recipe calls for good ole' corn flakes. They are so pretty and great to give as gifts. Plus, you only need 5 ingredients!! Check out the recipe (and I apologize for the measurements - I just usually eyeball everything):

Corn Flake Wreaths

1 bag mini-marshmallows
1/2 stick butter
A couple of drops of green food coloring
1/2 box of cornflakes (about 5 cups, or more if batter is too sticky)
Red hots candies or red M&Ms

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir until marshmallows are melted. Add in green food coloring until well blended. Remove from heat. Fold in cornflakes until coated. Drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper and form into wreaths. While still warm, place a few red hots or M&Ms onto wreaths (for holly berries). Cool in fridge for about an hour. Enjoy!

On the fourth day of Christmas treats....

I have to be honest and say that I have never made Gingerbread Men. Nope, haven't tried my hand at these cute little spicy fellas. I have made Gingerbread, though. I have some great quality sorghum that I use in my gingerbread that comes from a little place in Jeffersonville, KY called Townsend's Sorghum. I highly recommend their sorghum as it is the best I have tasted! And, if you have never had sorghum molasses, you do not know what you are missing. :)

This is a recipe from my friend Kim. She is an excellent baker and practically bakes every day! Her blog is full of recipes and restaurant reviews. This is one of her cookie recipes, although my favorite cookies of hers are her Soft Jumbo Peanut Butter Cookies and her Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Here you go:

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each nutmeg and cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the above dry ingredients.

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup molasses (unsulphured - the normal kind you can find in the syrup aisle)

Cream butter and sugar, add egg. Stir in molasses. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Spray cookie sheets or use parchment paper. Bake for 9 minutes.

On the 3rd day of Christmas treats, tell me what can it be??

So sorry I failed to post yesterday's Christmas treat! I promise not to let it happen again. :)

Today's Christmas treat is one of my all-time favorite goodies, especially at Christmas-time. They are so yummy, so easy to make, and fun! The only thing that is a little time-consuming is rolling the mixture into balls (but that is the fun part). :)

Peanut Butter Balls

2 sticks butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
2 boxes powdered sugar
1 jar creamy (or crunchy) peanut butter
Chocolate for dipping **

Mix butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and penaut butter together until the mixture forms a dough. Roll into little balls about 1 inch in size. Dip balls in chocolate (dark, milk, or white) and place on wax or parchment paper to cool. Enjoy! Makes about 75 balls.

**You can also melt a little bit of paraffin wax into your chocolate for a glossy finish on your peanut butter balls.