While it might seem like marshmallows are a foreign concoction from the far-off land of Stay Puft marshmallow men, they're actually quite easy to make -- and the perfect project for a cold, blustery day.

All that's needed is a good mixer (a stand mixer will be most preferable since the mixture has to beat for a while), water, powdered gelatin, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to fight stickiness. You can find the whole easy-to-follow run-down over at Cooking for Engineers, which includes pictures and a step-by-step account of the process.

To make the marshmallows festive, use small Christmas-themed cookie cutters to make shapes, and then save the excess for post-holiday cocoa or some holiday Rice Krispies treats.