It’s Day 3 of the 12 Days of Cookies!! And today is all about Cornflake Candy Cookies.
I have heard a lot about cornflake candy, but have never made them, until now.
I love cornflakes cereal. It was originally developed by brothers, Will and John Kellogg as a breakfast food to counter indigestion in 1894. A batch of wheat-based cereal dough was left out, causing it to ferment. The brothers discovered rolling the dough out and baking it produced a thin, crispy flake. Will Kellogg experimented over the next few years with different grains and found corn produced a crispier and tastier cereal flake. In 1906, he added malt, sugar and salt to the recipe.
Cornflake Candy is a recipe that dates back to the 1930’s. During the Great Depression, inexpensive foods were made into delectable treats. Peanut butter and cereal was affordable and delicious in various recipes.
When I was a kid, in one of my Christmas Activity Books was a recipe for cornflake wreath cookies, but that recipe used marshmallows and butter much like a Rice Krispie Square. I’ve made those for many years and it’s one my kids love!
But now it’s Cornflake Candy Cookies and oh my gosh, they’re absolutely amazingly delicious!! I cannot believe I never made them before!
I substituted the peanut butter for a nut-free soy-based butter (called Wow Butter and is a great tasting substitute for peanut butter in recipes), and the recipe turned out exceptionally well. These will definitely be a “cookie” I make again. And I love that there is no butter in the recipe (especially with today’s high butter prices!) I would however, drizzle them with chocolate or butterscotch chips and maybe toss on a few sprinkles for a festive touch!!
We made these small which makes them a perfect bite (or two)! And it’s easy to somewhat shape them when the mixture is hot out of the pot (but be careful not to burn yourself!)
Super yummy! And these are great added to any dessert platter!!
Let’s get started!
To a large pot, add sugar, corn syrup, nut/seed butter and vanilla.
Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Once bubbly, remove from heat. Do not over cook or cookies will become rock hard!
I poured half of the cornflakes in, stirred and then poured the remaining cereal in. Stir well, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of pot.
Be sure it gets mixed well. I had to mix a few more times as you can see some cereal wasn’t quite coated with the sweet candy mixture!
Scoop with a cookie scoop or use a large spoon to scoop cereal mixture onto parchment. I placed parchment on a cooling rack so it could cool without sticking!
It’s very hot so be careful! It’s hard not to taste test, but easy once you remind yourself that you don’t want a burnt mouth! I have burnt my mouth so bad before that it all peeled which is quite painful and no fun at all! Hot sugar is horrible, so please be patient!! At least it’s only for 30 minutes!
These look delicious! Washing the dishes immediately will make it much easier to clean that sticky candy! Plus by the time the dishes are done, the cornflake candy is nearly ready to try!
Once cooled, I just had to have a taste! I waited about an hour before trying these delectable candied morsels! The longer they sit, the more chewy they become! When warm, they are ooey gooey and once cooled completely, they are chewy but also sticky-candied, similar to a soft caramel. These cookies are so delicious I could have easily gobbled them all up!
Of course they go wonderfully with a glass of milk (whatever kind of milk you like) or a mug of eggnog or even a cup of hot cocoa!
12 Days of Cookies… Day 3 — Cornflake Candy Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter or any nut or seed butter – I used wow-butter
1 tsp vanilla
5 to 6 cups cornflakes
In a large pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, wow butter and vanilla. Cook until it starts to boil. Stir constantly so it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat. Stir in cornflakes. Stir well.
Drop onto parchment paper using a cookie scoop. Work quickly before mixture cools and hardens. Let cool for 30 minutes before eating.
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours