TOP PHOTOS: Minty marshmallow marvels for Christmas snacking. BOTTOM PHOTO: Buying peppermint candy crunch saves you the time of trying to evenly crush whole peppermints or candy canes. Photo courtesy King Arthur Flour. Photos courtesy King Arthur Flour.

To bring to a party or for homemade gifts, marshmallows are a delightful alternative to cookies. This holiday, from King Arthur Flour, pack lots of peppermint in every bite.

For a milder peppermint flavor, simply omit the optional peppermint oil. (Personally, we love lots of mintiness. We also recommend the optional red gel paste to get the beautiful color in the photo.)

Prep time is 20 minutes to 30 minutes, cook time is 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Marshmallows are best made a day in advance, so they can set in the pan before cutting. Here are step-by-step photos.

Here’s another recipe for no-crunch Green Peppermint Marshmallows.
 
 
RECIPE: PEPPERMINT CRUNCH MARSHMALLOWS

Ingredients For 24 Marshmallows

 
Ingredients

1. COMBINE the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the cool water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Set the bowl aside. Grease a 9″ x 13″ pan (glass or ceramic is best) and a dough scraper, and set both aside.

2. COMBINE the sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup cool water in a small, deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 238°F to 240°F on a candy or digital thermometer. Remove from the heat.

4. ADD the peppermint crunch and red gel paste, and mix just until you can see swirls of red and white. Spread the marshmallow into the greased pan with the greased dough scraper.

5. WET your fingers and use them to smooth and flatten the marshmallow in the pan. Sprinkle the glazing sugar or confectioners’ sugar over the top, and let sit for several hours (or overnight) before cutting.

6. USE a greased knife or cookie cutters to make squares or other shapes. You can cut about two dozen 2″ marshmallows or eight dozen 1″ marshmallows (we prefer the larger size for visual impact).

7. WRAP the marshmallows airtight in plastic. They can be stored for several days at room temperature.
  

KEURIG 2.0 K200/K250 SINGLE SERVE BREWER

Designed with a smaller, more compact footprint, the K200/K250 (the difference is extra accessories) is sized right for small kitchens, dorm rooms, small office spaces (we have one on our desk).

The best small footprint single-serve machine we’ve tried, it takes up half the space of our Keurig 2.0 K450. The Keurig 2.0 series brews a single-serve cup or 4-cup carafe (the carafe is an extra purchase and uses a larger pod).

It’s also good for homes that don’t brew a lot of single-serve coffee. If you just brew one or two cups in the morning and/or evening, why take up the space with a 70-ounce water reservoir?

The SRP is $109.99. Learn more at Keurig.com.

 
K-CUPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Small footprint, big convenience: the Keurig 2.0 K200 series. Photo courtesy Keurig.

The ceramic grinder is better than a metal
blade. Photo courtesy Kyocera.

KYOCERA SLIM ADJUSTABLE COFFEE MILL

Coffee purists won’t use K-cups. They want their beans freshly ground.

There have long been single-cup coffee makers, but this is the first grinder we’ve personally that’s great for small brews. It’s sized to grind the beans for one or two cups, instead of an entire pot.

It’s the right gift for the coffee lover who wants to brew freshly ground beans.

The grinder has a highly durable ceramic grinding mechanism; the adjustable dial enables fine to coarse grinds. A nice addition is the non-slip silicon base that provides stability when grinding.

It’s $44.95 at KyoceraAdvancedCeramics.com

You may not feel up to making a Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake), but you can certainly make a wreath cake.

While there is trend to pull-apart cupcake wreath cakes, we decided to try a traditional one.

This recipe was adapted by Audra, The Baker Chick from one on AllRecipes.com. It’s the third photo, requires no piping skills, and although it’s not as showy, it’s much easier to serve and eat.
 
 
RECIPE: CRANBERRY BUTTERMILK UPSIDE DOWN WREATH CAKE

Prep time is 15 minutes, bake time is 50 minutes.

Ingredients For 10 Servings

 
For The Decoration

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Spray or grease a 10-inch ring pan thoroughly‡.

2. COMBINE the half stick of butter, 3/4 cup white sugar, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted; then add the cranberries, tossing until they are coated in the butter mixture. Pour into the bottom of the cake pan and set aside.

3. CREAM together the 6 tablespoons of butter with the remaining ½ cup of white sugar and the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one at a time, the rest of the vanilla and the buttermilk.

[1] A professional wreath cake from Frederick’s Pastry. Feel like practicing your piping skills?

[2] A wreath of cupcakes from Beautiful Life.

[3] An easier-to-make cranberry wreath cake. Here’s the recipe from The Baker Chick.

5. BAKE for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. MAKE the frosted grapes. Garnish before serving.

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*If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to enough milk to make 1 cup.

†Fresh evergreen can impart strong sap or needles.

‡There is not enough batter to fully fill out a bundt pan.