Looking for a fun and festive activity to do with your kids this Thanksgiving? Why not make these adorable Pilgrim Hat Cookies and Turkey Pretzels? These simple recipes are a great fit for kids of all ages, and the finished product is sure to be a hit at your Thanksgiving table.
These recipes are great for kids because it's simple, fun, and requires minimal adult supervision and no hazards. It's a great way to introduce children to basic baking skills, and encourage their creativity and ability to follow directions. It helps that the finished product is a delicious and festive treat that they can be proud of and share with their family and friends, too!
Pilgrim Hats
These Pilgrim Hat Cookies are a fun and easy way to get your kids involved in the Thanksgiving festivities. With just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of creativity, you can create adorable and delicious treats that everyone will love. So, gather your supplies, put on your aprons, and have fun making this Pilgrim Hat recipe with your kid!
Ingredients
- 1 pack of fudge-striped cookies, or 12 cookies
- 12 Reese's Pieces
- 12 Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- 1 tube of yellow frosting
Makes 12 Pilgrim Hats
Instructions
1. Prepare the Materials: Unwrap your Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Flip all fudge-striped cookies so that the stripes are facing down on your work surface.
Attach the Peanut Butter Cup: Pipe a small amount of frosting around the top outer edge of the peanut butter cup. Place it frosting side down on the cookie.
Create the Brim: Add a thin line of yellow frosting around the edge of the peanut butter cup where it touches the cookie to create what looks like a ribbon around the hat.
Add the Buckle: Place a small amount of frosting on a Reese's Pieces candy. Press it to the side of the peanut butter cup with the candy resting on the cookie.
Add a thin line of yellow frosting around the edge of the peanut butter cup where it touches the cookie.
Repeat steps 2-4: Repeat these steps until you have created the desired number of Pilgrim Hats. Serve them on your Thanksgiving table for everyone in your family to enjoy!
Tips for Making Pilgrim Hats
Watch Out for Allergies: If someone at your Thanksgiving gathering has a nut allergy, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Instead of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you can substitute sunflower butter cups, truffles, Rolos, or another allergy-friendly similarly-shaped candy.
Use a piping bag or Ziploc bag: For a neater application of frosting, use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. You can also use icing in a tube from the grocery store.
Get Creative: Customize your Pilgrim Hats by adding different candies, icing colors, or decorations.
Presentation is Everything: Your child can help decide how to display the cookies on your Thanksgiving table, perhaps on a special plate, with festive napkins, or on a paper doily upon a cake stand.
Make Ahead: You can make these cookies a few days in advance and store them in an airtight container.
Turkey Pretzels
These Turkey Pretzels will be a cute addition to your Thanksgiving dessert menu! Simple ingredients and instructions make this recipe an easy and stress-free project for you and your child. Spend time together before the festivities of the holiday kick off and enjoy the process of making this Pretzel Turkey recipe as a family!
Ingredients
- 36 pieces of candy corn
- 12 miniature pretzels
- 12 Rolos
- 24 candy eyeballs
- 12 yellow or orange chocolate covered sunflower seeds
Makes 12 Turkey Pretzels
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and unwrap the Rolos. Set aside.
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Line up the pretzels on the jelly roll pan and place one Rolo on each pretzel.
- Using a chid-safe knife, cut off the white tip of each candy corn piece. Set aside
- Bake the pretzels and Rolos for 1-2 minutes, or until the Rolos are soft.
- Put three candy corn kernels into the top of each Rolo, as if they were the feathers on each turkey.
- Place two candy eyes on the top of each Rolo. Place one sunflower seed between the eyes as a beak.
- Let cool completely.
Tips for Making Pretzel Turkeys
Talk About Kitchen Safety: This recipe uses the oven and a knife. The pan will come out of the oven hot. This is a great time to talk with your child about staying safe in the kitchen and how to properly use kitchen tools to avoid cuts and burns.
Cool It: If needed, you can cool the Pretzel Turkeys in the refrigerator. However, if you lower the temperature of chocolate, you may notice a change in the taste and texture of the chocolate.
Display Them Proudly: Let your child decide how to display the Pretzel Turkeys on your table. You can even add them to the same platter as the Pilgrim Hats to be extra festive!
For other autumnal activities to do with your child, check out these blog posts.