DIY THANKSGIVING DESSERTS

 

HANDPRINT TURKEY COOKIES: These cookies are not only fun to make, but they can be used as adorable place cards for your table setting! First, have you kids trace their hands on cardstock (or you and your friends can do this, too, as it’s fun to make different sized turkey cookies!) and then cut them out. Roll out sugar cookie dough and place the guide on top, cutting it out with a knife. Gently transfer to a baking sheet. For rough edges, just pat them down. Bake and allow them to cool before applying the icing. The icing for the outline, feet, gobbler, and name should be thicker than the fill icing.

 

Next, fill the cookie with the thinner frosting. Make some feet and gobblers on a piece of parchment paper. Once dried, they will come off you can put them on the cookies by placing a dot of frosting underneath. Add feathers by using more frosting or fun colored candies! Add an eye and write a name. (Put the legs on last because they are fragile and could break while adding the feathers and name.) Now you have a cute handprint turkey cookie!

 

TURKEY CAKE POPS: Make some cake pops to add a bit of variety to your Thanksgiving desserts! Here’s what you’ll need: 1 box spice cake mix (and the ingredients for the cake mix), ½ cup cream cheese frosting, 2 packages of Chocolate CANDIQUIK Candy Coating, 40 Ritz Crackers, 1 bag candy corn, sprinkles (hearts and candy eyes), 40 lollipop sticks, Styrofoam block to set cake pops while drying, small ½ inch pretzel pieces (optional for legs). Prepare and bake cake mix as directed on the box. Crumble the cake in a large bowl. Add frosting and mix (you can use your fingers to make it easier). Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Prepare the feathers for the turkeys. Melt Chocolate CANDIQUIK and dip the crackers in the chocolate. Place on wax paper, attaching 4 pieces of candy corn on the top edge of the crackers.

 

Roll the cake mixture into 1 inch balls, placing on wax paper and covering with a baking sheet. Insert a lollipop stick into each cake ball. Re-melt the chocolate for 15 seconds (until smooth) and dip the cake pops in the melted chocolate, coating completely and working quickly. Press a candy corn on the center of the cake pop (for the turkey nose), holding it there so it doesn’t fall over. Attach two eyes and press a heart sprinkle (upside down) below the candy corn nose. Before your cake pops are completely dry, press and hold the chocolate coated crackers against the back of the turkey heads until attached. Place the cake pops in the Styrofoam block to dry. Enjoy!

 

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER ACORNS: To make chocolate and peanut butter acorns, just melt ½ a bag of mini chocolate chips at a 5 second interval in the microwave. Stir well each time. Dip the flat end of a Hershey’s Kiss into the melted chocolate and top with bite-size NutterButter. Dip the flat end of a mini chocolate chip into melted chocolate and stick it onto the NutterButter. Now you have some small treats that look like acorns. Yum!

 

TURKEY RICE KRISPIES TREATS: Do you love Rice Krispie Treats? Try this recipe for festive Thanksgiving Rice Krispies. What you’ll need for the Krispie Treats: ¼ cup unsalted butter, 10oz bag of marshmallows, 5 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal. For the turkeys: ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels (melted), 12 chocolate wafers (or Hershey’s Kisses), candy corn, candy eyes, and orange M&M’s. First, melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and fold in the cereal until fully coated (do this quickly). Lightly press into a buttered 13”x9” baking sheet and let it set for approximately 30 minutes. Cut circles into the Krispie Treat using a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter. Attach 5 candy corns as feathers using the melted semi-sweet chocolate. Use one wafer for each face, two eyes and half and orange M&M as the beak. You can also add red candy for the waddle!

 

DONUT HOLE ACORNS WITH SPRINKLE TOPS: Try making this cute little treat! What you’ll need: donut holes, Nutella (or peanut butter, if preferred), toffee bits, and pretzel sticks (broken in half). Dip the donut holes in Nutella. Be sure to cover just 1/3 of the top. Next, roll it in toffee bits (or chocolate Jimmies). Stick a half of a pretzel stick in the top of the donut and set it on wax paper. Keep them covered until ready to serve!

 

CHOCOLATE DIPPED RICE KRISPIES TREAT TURKEY POPS: What you’ll need: Rice Krispies Treats (bought from the store or homemade), pure milk chocolate (melted and tempered) or light Cocoa Candy Melts (melted), white modeling chocolate, and orange, black and red candy coloring. Striped straws, long lollipop sticks (or craft sticks), baking sheet lined with parchment paper, non-stick silicone baking mat (or powdered sugar dusted on a cutting board, fondant rolling pin, knife, and a set of round plunger cutters (or a #4 or #5 pastry tip and round metal cutters).

 

Dip the tip of your straw, lollipop stick or craft stick in melted chocolate. Push it into the end of the Rice Krispie Treat. Let dry. Then dip the cereal treat into the melted chocolate. Remove and let the excess drip off. Set on baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). If you’re using milk chocolate, refrigerate for 5 – 10 minutes until set. If using light cocoa candy melts, freeze for 5 – 10 minutes. Let it warm up to room temperature before decorating. Color some modeling chocolate using red, orange, and black candy coloring. Using a fondant roller, roll all of the modeling chocolate out to 1/16^th of an inch. Roll out on a non-stick silicone baking mat or on a cutting board lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

 

Cut out triangles for the beaks using a knife. Pinch off tiny pieces of red and roll into the shape of a teardrop, and then turn out the bottom and top to make it look like a waddle. Using a small round plunger cutter, make the black pupils, and cut two different sized rounds from the white. Lightly brush the backsides of the black pupils with water and attach to the white part of the eyes. Press down on the black pupils to flatten them a bit. Use water to attach the facial features to the chocolate dipped Rice Cereal Treats bars. Add a curled ribbon to each turkey for added cuteness! These can be stored in a container at room temperature for up to one month.

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