Oreo Cookie Turkeys

Build an Oreo turkey with Oreos, candy and frosting. This is a fun activity for (school-age) kids at a Thanksgiving gathering to put these together. They can display them at their dinner place and eat them for dessert....if they can wait that long. This recipe will make one dozen turkeys.

You’ll need:
•24 Oreo Double Stuff cookies
•12 miniature peanut butter cups
•12 malted milk balls
•1 cup candy corn
•4 ounces chocolate frosting
•4 ounces white frosting
•red food coloring

Directions
1.Place one Oreo cookie as the base. Put one teaspoon of chocolate frosting on top.
2.Place one small peanut butter cup on it's side so that the top and bottom are perpendicular to the base -- and stuck in the frosting. Place a teaspoon of chocolate frosting on the top(widest part) of the p-butter cup.
3.For the second cookie. Stick some candy corn into the Oreo 'stuff' along one edge for the feathers -- pointy side down. They should fan out around the edge. If you have trouble doing this, you can help them stick with some white frosting.
4.Place this second Oreo cookie (the tail) on it's edge and sticking to a dab of brown frosting on the back of the peanut butter cup.
5.Place a dab of chocolate frosting on top of the peanut butter up (for the head). Place a malted milk ball on top for the head.
6.Take a small amount of the white frosting in a separate dish. Mix in red food coloring.
7.Use a toothpick with the white and red colors to place eyes, and wattle. You can pinch off the small pointy top of a candy corn and dip it in brown frosting for the beak.

Your turkey is complete!

Gobble Gobble,

Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Clusters

Every day around the holidays I get a Cookie of the day sent to me in my email...it's great; but dangerous and fattening. You can sign up for this absolutely free and delightful service at:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/holidays/calendar/0,30311,1848222_1850406,00.html

Here's what I'm making tonight.

Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Clusters

Prep and cook time: About 45 minutes. Notes: These rich drop cookies taste like chocolate-covered macadamia nut candies. Take care not to overbake the cookies; their centers should remain soft and chewy. Yield: Makes about 42 cookies


Ingredients
· 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
· 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter
· 1 cup sugar
· 2 large eggs
· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted macadamia nuts
· 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
· 1 cup sweetened flaked dried coconut (4 oz.)


Preparation
1. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stir chopped chocolate and butter often until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from over water and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.


2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in flour and baking powder, then beat just until moistened. Stir in macadamia nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut.


3. Drop dough in 1-tablespoon portions, about 2 inches apart, onto buttered or cooking parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.


4. Bake cookies in a 350° oven just until firm on the edges but still soft when pressed in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.



(from Sunset magazine)



Happy Baking,

Montgomery Who?

Yes. Montgomery Ward. The old department store staple has come through with some pretty darn cute things for the home and no, they aren't made out of polyester. Check out this rustic desk and bench...and the price is right too. Just $189 now if I can just figure out a place to put it.

Happy Junking,