Holly cookie recipe and tutorial

"Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."
~Dalai Lama

This weekend I went to a cookie exchange party. Everyone brought 3 dozen cookies, and we each got to take some of each cookie home! It's a great way to exchange recipes and try new delicious cookies! I decided to make my absolute favorite holiday cookie that's extremely easy, quite beautiful, and very tasty - holly cookies.

This is all you need to make them!
30-40 big marshmallows (it's basically 1 bag of marshmallows, so you could get small ones if you wanted)
1/2 c of butter or margarine
vanilla extract
green food coloring
5 cups of cornflakes
red hots

All you do is blend the butter and marshmallows together over low heat.

After all the marshmallows have melted add in 1/2 tsp of vanilla.
I love using my pure vanilla extract from Tijuana, Mexico, but because it's unlikely that I'll be back there anytime soon to replenish my supply I use it in only the most special of recipes, like this one!

Then add in your food coloring. I start with a few drops and then stir it, adding more until you like the color.


Don't add too much though, it WILL turn your tongue green! :)

Next fold in the cornflakes until each one is coated with the marshmallow mixture.


Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

For some reason, red hots are always the most difficult ingredient for me to find. I always forget this and every year it amazes me just how tricky they are to find. This time I had to check Target and Walmart before I finally found them at Winn Dixie.

Anyways, you place 3 red hots on top of each cookie,


and there you have it, beautiful holly cookies topped with berries!

I will mention that I always pick the red hots off and eat them separately from the cookie. The cinnamon flavor and sugary marshmallow mixture are not particularly complementary in my opinion, but the red and green sure are beautiful together!

Tomorrow I will share with you the yummy cookies I got to take away from the exchange!