Jingle Bell Cookie Wreaths

1 cup sugar
1 cup margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Green food coloring
Cinnamon candies

Cream sugar and margarine in a large bowl. Add egg and almond extract, beating until fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Divide dough in half; tint half green (about 5 drops of food coloring), leaving other half white. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle sugar on work surface. For each wreath, shape 1 teaspoon white dough and 1 teaspoon green dough into two 4-inch ropes. Twist ropes together and shape into wreath. Place on ungreased cookie sheets; press 2 or 3 cinnamon candies on each wreath to look like holly berries. Bake 9 to 12 minutes, or until light golden around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Store in covered container. Makes about 4 dozen wreaths.

(Source: Lion House Christmas cookbook, pg. 113)