Marshmallow Treat Ornaments - We'll try them on the 15th!

These are just too pretty!  I can't wait to try them.  

6 tbsp butter

2½ cups miniature or 18 large marshmallows

2–3 tsp red or green food coloring

5 cups crisp rice cereal

16  pieces thin black or red licorice rope

16 gummy ring candies

3 tbsp decorating nonpareils or colored sugar

1. Melt butter in Executive 4-qt. Casserole over low heat (do not use stainless cookware). Add marshmallows and stir with Mix ‘N Scraper® until completely melted. Remove from heat; add food coloring and stir until well blended.  Add cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

2. Using Large Scoop, scoop cereal mixture into 16 rounded portions onto Parchment Paper. Fold one piece of licorice rope in half. Wearing plastic gloves, form an indentation into cereal for licorice. Insert licorice ends into indentation.  Lightly pack scoop into a ball around licorice, leaving a 1½-in. loop at the top. Thread one gummy ring over licorice loop to fit on top of ball at base of loop. Repeat with remaining licorice, cereal mixture and gummy rings.

3. Place nonpareils into Coating Tray. Roll each ornament in nonpareils to form a narrow stripe around the middle. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to serve.

Yield: 16 ornaments