No-Bake Oreo Turkey Cookies with Candy Corn Feathers
Double Stuf Oreos become tiny Thanksgiving turkeys with candy corn feathers, a chocolate malted milk ball head, candy eyes and a candy corn beak. There is no oven, no mixing and nothing to melt, so kids can do most of the building.
Equipment
- Baking sheet, tray or cutting board
- Parchment paper
- Small bowl
- Toothpick or small spoon
- Zip-top bag (optional, for piping)
Ingredients
- 12 Double Stuf Oreo cookies regular Oreos also work, but the filling is thinner
- 72 pieces candy corn divided: 60 for feathers (5 per cookie) and 12 for beaks (1 per cookie)
- 12 chocolate malted milk balls, such as Whoppers for the heads; any smooth, round chocolate candy about 1/2 inch across works
- 24 candy eyes 2 per cookie
- 1/3 cup ready-made chocolate frosting thick, tub-style; used as edible glue
Instructions
- Set up your station. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment. Sort the candy corn into two piles: 60 pieces for feathers and 12 for beaks. Scoop the frosting into a small bowl. Keep the malted milk balls and candy eyes in separate dishes.
- Open the cookies. Gently twist each Oreo apart so the cream filling stays on one wafer. Set the other wafer next to it. If a cookie breaks or the filling splits unevenly, set it aside and use another.
- Add the feathers. Press 5 candy corn pieces, pointed end down, into the cream filling along the back half of the cookie. Fan them out so the wide ends point away from the center and extend just past the edge of the wafer. Press only until the tips are held firmly in the filling.
- Close the cookie. Set the top wafer back on and press down gently until it rests on the filling. The feathers should stay in place and fan outward when you let go. If a feather has slipped, lift the top wafer and push that candy corn back into the filling.
- Attach the head. Dab about 1/2 teaspoon of frosting on the top wafer, just in front of center and toward the front edge. Set a malted milk ball on the frosting and hold it for a few seconds until it stays upright.
- Add the eyes. Place two tiny dots of frosting on the front of the head, side by side. Press a candy eye onto each one.
- Add the beak. Put a very small dab of frosting on the wide end of a candy corn piece. Press it onto the head just below and between the eyes, with the pointed end facing straight out.
- Let the turkeys set. Leave the cookies flat on the tray at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The frosting will firm up slightly, though it will not harden like candy. The turkeys are ready to move when you can nudge a head or eye very gently and it does not slide. In a warm kitchen, chill the tray in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Tips: Use tiny dabs of frosting, since too much makes pieces slide. Assemble in stages (all feathers, then heads, then eyes and beaks) and keep the turkeys flat while they set. If the candy corn will not stay in the filling, use Double Stuf cookies or add a tiny dab of frosting at the base of each feather.
Melted chocolate variation: Use 1/2 cup (about 85 g) semisweet chocolate chips or melting wafers instead of frosting. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, then continue in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Pipe small dots from a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped. It firms within about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep water out of the bowl.
Storage: Store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. For best appearance and texture, serve within about 3 days. They can be assembled a day ahead. Freezing is not recommended.
Allergens and safety: Ingredients vary by brand, and many contain wheat, milk or soy. Many candy corn brands contain gelatin. Check labels, including "may contain" warnings. Candy eyes and candy corn are small, hard candies, so skip the eyes or supervise closely for children under four.
Nutrition: Estimates per turkey cookie (1 of 12), based on typical package data and not laboratory-tested. Cholesterol, potassium and vitamin and mineral values were not estimated and are entered as 0 only because the import requires a number.
Calories per serving: ~150 kcal (estimated, per turkey cookie, 12 per batch)