Cornmeal Wreaths Recipes

NO-BAKE M&M'S WREATHS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the cereals in a bag and roughly crush into small pieces with a rolling pin. Pour into a large bowl, add the peanuts and raisins and toss.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until the caramel darkens a shade and releases from the sides of the pan when stirred, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. When the caramel stops bubbling, stir in the marshmallows and food coloring. Add to the cereal mixture and stir.
• Working quickly, drop 1/4-cup mounds of the mixture onto the baking sheet. Let cool slightly, then press each into a wreath shape while still warm and press mini M&M'S onto each. Let stand until set, about 1 hour.

CORNFLAKE CHRISTMAS WREATHS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Combine the marshmallows and butter in a large bowl and microwave on 50-percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted, about 1 minute 30 seconds.
• Stir in the vanilla and enough food coloring to make the mixture a deep green, 10 to 15 drops. Stir in the cornflakes until they are completely coated.
• Working with wet hands, form the mixture into twenty-four 2-inch balls. Flatten on the prepared baking sheets and poke a hole in the middle of each with your finger, molding the sides as needed to form a wreath shape. Decorate with the cinnamon candies to create holly berries. Form the red candy strips into a simple bow on each wreath. Sprinkle lightly with the white nonpareils for snow. Let set at room temperature to firm up, about 2 hours, or refrigerate 30 minutes.

CORNMEAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the powdered sugar and mix in. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Roll into 1 1/2-inch logs and roll in cornmeal to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least one hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Slice shortbread dough thinly and bake on a silpat or parchment paper for 12 to 15 minutes. The shortbread will still be blonde, and they will crisp once cool.

CORNMEAL WREATHS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and anise to the butter and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stir the flour-cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Divide the dough into 34 (1-inch) balls (3/4-ounce). Arrange the cookies on 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1-inch apart. Make a hole in the center of each ball with your finger or the tip of a wooden spoon. Work each piece of dough by hand into a doughnut-like shape with a 1-inch hole and about 2 inches wide. Use scissors to snip 1/2-inch long angled cuts, about 1/2-inch apart around the outside ring of each cookie. Freeze cookies on the sheet until firm, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss a few of the cornflakes at a time with the egg whites and arrange on the surface of the cookies in a leaf like pattern. Bake until just golden around the edges, about 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

YEASTED CORNMEAL ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine milk with butter and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, whisk yeast and sugar into 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees). Let stand until foamy, then stir in cornmeal mixture. Lightly beat 2 eggs; stir into yeast-and-cornmeal mixture. Stir in 3 1/2 cups flour until dough is tacky but not sticky. (If dough is sticky, stir in more flour.) Transfer to a work surface dusted with flour. Knead with floured hands, dusting more flour onto hands and surface as needed, until dough is elastic and springs back when pressed with a finger, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a large bowl brushed with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. The dough can be made up to this point and left torise up to 12 hours in the refrigerator; remove from refrigerator 1 hour before proceeding.
• Punch down dough. Form into a ball and place on a clean, undusted work surface. Quarter dough, then divide each quarter into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and space evenly on two rimmed baking sheets that are generously dusted with cornmeal (8 per sheet). Loosely cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Beat remaining egg. Brush tops of rolls with egg, then slash a 1/4-inch-deep X in tops. Lightly dust with cornmeal and sprinkle with flaky salt.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until rolls are puffed, golden, and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottoms, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a basket lined with a clean towel and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.