With the Halloween fun over, Thanksgiving is just 24 days away. So, it's not too early to start thinking about turkeys—turkey cookies, that is. Blake made some Cute Turkey Cookies with Papa Jack's help. Here is Blake with his "flock" of turkey cookies.
I melted chocolate chips in a reseable plastic bag for them to use as glue. Jack helped to pipe our chocolate "glue" onto a Rolo candy so Blake could attach it to a miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup. The recipe makes 8 no-bake turkey cookies.
Then they glued the candies to fudge-striped shortbread cookies.
Next, the cookies with the candies are glued to a fudge-covered graham cracker base, which allows them to stand up.
Blake's new brother Finn and their dad (Jason) came over to see what we were working on. At only four months old, Finn wants to help cook too.
In the photo below, Blake is is attaching the head and feet of a turkey cookie.
Finally, Papa Jack pipes on some of the leftover melted chocolate for eyes. The recipe directs you to use black decorating gel to make the eyes but someone (Grandma Andi) forgot it at home and that's when we found that the chocolate worked just fine, as you can see in the first photo.
Cute Turkey Cookies
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 2 Hours
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
8 fudge-striped shortbread cookies
8 fudge-covered graham crackers
8 miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped
1 roll (1.7 oz) round chewy caramels in milk chocolate, unwrapped
24 pieces candy corn
1 tube (0.68 oz) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel
1. In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips; seal bag. Microwave on High about 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. On work surface, lay shortbread cookies flat, with stripes vertical, in a row. Squeeze bag to pipe a line of melted chocolate across bottom of each cookie, crosswise over fudge stripes. Center longer side of 1 graham cracker on chocolate line; hold until chocolate begins to set. Repeat with remaining cookies and graham crackers. Allow to set up, about 30 minutes.
2. If necessary, reheat chocolate in microwave on High 10 to 30 seconds Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate on wider end of 1 peanut butter cup; place over hole on 1 shortbread cookie, resting against graham cracker. Repeat with remaining peanut butter cups.
3. Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate on bottom of 1 round caramel; place on 1 peanut butter cup (for turkey body). Repeat with remaining round caramels. Allow to set up, about 15 minutes.
4. Turn cookies so graham crackers are flat on work surface and you are looking at the shortbread cookies (turkey feathers). Pipe small amount of chocolate on one side of 1 candy corn piece; center on round caramel and peanut butter cup for beak. Hold in position until chocolate begins to set, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with 7 more candy corn pieces.
5. Pipe small amount of chocolate on one side of 1 candy corn piece; place 1 candy corn piece on chocolate, graham crackers against body, on either side for turkey legs. Repeat with remaining candy corn pieces. Using black gel, add eyes on each candy corn beak. Let stand until set, about1 hour.
8 cookies