Cheerios Cranberry and Granola Magic Wands

inspired by The Cheerios Cookbook
(makes 12-14 3″ stars plus lots of bits for sampling)

• 3 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
• 5 cups marshmallows (large or mini)
• 6 cups Cheerios
• 1 cup plain granola (with no dried fruit in it)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and (un)salted
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• a few tbsp gold shimmer sugar (optional)
• 12-6″ lollipop sticks

Line a 9″x13″ rectangular pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the marshmallows and coconut oil over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from heat when marshmallows and oil are melted and combined. Add cheerios, granola, cranberries and seeds. Mix well.

Press the mixture into the prepared pan and if using, sprinkle the gold shimmer sugar over top. Let it cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Once the mixture has cooled, lift the parchment paper with the Cheerios out of the pan and place it on to a flat, sturdy work surface. Using a 3″ star cookie cutter, cut 12-14 stars out of the Cheerios rectangle. With a gentle twisting motion, push a lollipop stick between two points of each star cutout. If needed, you can carefully reshape the star since the mixture should still be slightly malleable. Gently place each magic wand on to the parchment lined cookie sheet with the handle hanging over the lip of the cookie sheet. Once set, you can store them in an air tight container at room temperature for about one week.