More Thanksgiving Goodies!

These Thanksgiving goodies come from my mother. Aren't they lovely and didn't she take a great picture? Way to go (and thanks) Mom!

Instructions for the cookies and the pumpkin follow.

First the turkey cookie instructions.

This is a variation on the cookies we've assembled over the years around Thanksgiving. (I just about put "cookies we've made" there, but all the ingredients are store bought so "assembled" it is!) We used to make them with chocolate-covered cherries as the turkey body, but then everyone ate around the body because no one liked the chocolate-covered cherries. The chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie isn't quite as proportionate as the chocolate-covered cherry, but it reaches a wider audience. Next time I make them I think I'll try putting a marshmallow on a skewer, dipping it in chocolate, and using it as the body (minus the skewer). I think it might be a better size.

Supplies:
Fudge-striped Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie
(OR chocolate-covered cherry (a.k.a. Cherry Cordial) OR chocolate-dipped marshmallow)
Chocolate frosting
Candy corn
Red Hots (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Place one fudge-striped cookie face down to serve as the base.
2. Put a little chocolate frosting on one rounded side of the marshmallow cookie and attach to the base. (The instructions are the same if using a chocolate covered cherry or chocolate-dipped marshmallow. Basically you are putting it on it's side.)
3. Put a little frosting on the bottom of a striped side of a shortbread cookie and stick it to the flat side of the marshmallow cookie. Now your turkey has feathers! BE SURE THE STRIPES ARE RUNNING UP AND DOWN BEFORE ADDING THE FROSTING GLUE! I speak from experience.
   
4. Put a little frosting on a candy corn and stick it to the marshmallow cookie to serve as a beak.
5. Optional Step: Attach a Red Hot beneath the beak to look like the turkey's gobbler or waddle. What is that hanging piece of red skin called? This suburban girl just doesn't know.

Now the pilgrim hat cookie instructions.
This is a new one for me this year!

Supplies:
Fudge-striped Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate chips for melting and dipping
Marshmallows
Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tbsp margarine melted

Instructions:
Melt chocolate chips.

1. Stick a marshmallow on a toothpick or skewer and dip in melted chocolate. (This can be done ahead of time if working with little ones.)
2. Place one fudge-striped cookie face down to serve as the base. Put a little frosting on the base of the marshmallow and attach to the cookie.
3. Mix the powdered sugar, melted margarine, and a little bit of water to form the icing for the buckle. The consistency should be a little thinner than toothpaste.
4. Put the icing in a plastic sandwich bag and snip off one of the corners. Cut off less than you think needs to be snipped. You can always cut more later. Pipe a little square outline with the icing in the bag at the base of the marshmallow.

Now the pumpkin instructions.
This is a new one for me this year too! This is a great decoration if you are don't have the most storage space because the bulk of it is a roll of toilet paper. It's easy to put together and take apart. So next year, all you need is a new roll.

Supplies:
1 roll of toilet paper
1 square of fabric (about 15" square)
1 square of batting (about 15" square)
Brown paper sack
Silk leaves

Instructions:

1. Place the batting on top of the fabric. Put the TP in the middle of it. Pull the fabric and batting up and tuck into the middle of the TP tube.
2. Twist part of a paper sack and stick it into the tube to serve as the stem.
3. Tuck in a few silk leaves, and you're done.