Out of the Box Thanksgiving Treats

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it is just about that time where conversations fire up about the most important question of all; what’s on the menu for this year? Sure, we have the classic turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. But just when you think you’re completely full and moments away from a massive food coma, out comes the best course of all; dessert! Dessert is definitely the course you can get the most creative with if you still want a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Pumpkin and apple pies will always be a classic dish you can turn to, but here are our top 3 out of the box dessert recipes to spice up your 2020, middle-of-a-pandemic Thanksgiving!

Apple Pie Bites

We all know that pie is one of the most classic thanksgiving desserts to date, but that whole slice of pie after a full meal is a lot! It can be hard to enjoy when you’re that full. This pie bites recipe from The Blond Cook Recipe will have your whole family popping little bites of this dessert! 

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2. 1 teaspoon apple pie spice, and additional apple pie spice (about 1/4 teaspoon) for sprinkling on top of crescent rolls
3. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4. 1/3 cup chopped pecans
5. 1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 8 (1/2-inch) slices
6. 1 (8 ounce) tube Pillsbury Original crescent rolls 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and apple pie spice. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and toss apple slices in butter, set aside.
4. Arrange crescent roll triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Evenly distribute brown sugar mixture onto each triangle.
5. Sprinkle each triangle evenly with the chopped pecans.
6. Place an apple slice on the wide end of each triangle. Wrap crescent roll dough around each apple.
7. Brush each crescent roll with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with additional apple pie spice.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Acorn Hershey Kiss Treats

Looking for a visual dessert to enhance the platter? Check out these Hershey Kiss inspired acorn treats from Key Ingredients will add the image of fall to this end-of-November holiday. 

Ingredients

1. Royal Icing to use as glue
2. Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates or Hershey’s Kisses Brand Pumpkin Spice Flavored Candies
3. Mini vanilla wafer cookies
4. Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips or Hershey’s Butterscotch Chips

Directions

1. Prepare royal icing and place it in a pastry bag with a small tip. Remove wrappers from candies.
2. Place mini vanilla wafer cookies on a tray or plate with a flat side of cookie toward the top. Squeeze a small amount of icing onto the bottom of the candy piece. Immediately press candy bottom onto vanilla wafer cookie. Allow icing to set.
3. Place a small dab of icing on the bottom of the peanut butter chip or butterscotch chip; immediately attach to the top of the cookie to finish acorn.

Turkey Decorated Cupcakes

Since the turkey is the trademark symbol of Thanksgiving Day, why not decorate a cupcake like one? These easy to decorate cupcakes from Delish.com will be fun for your little ones around the table and a cool aesthetic.

Ingredients

1. 1 box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
2. 1 1/3 c. (2 sticks and 5 1/3 tbsp.) butter, softened 
3. 5 1/3 c. powdered sugar
4. 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
5. 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6. 4 tbsp. heavy cream
7. Pinch kosher salt
8. Pretzels, for decorating
9. Candy corn, for decorating
10. M&Ms, for decorating
11. Candy eyes, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and line two 12-cup muffin tins with black cupcake liners. Prepare cupcake batter according to package directions.
2. Scoop cupcake batter into liners and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Let cool completely. 
3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment), beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder and beat until combined, then add vanilla, heavy cream, and salt and beat until combined. (If you desire a thinner consistency, add 1 more tablespoon cream.)
4. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½” round tip with frosting. Frost cupcakes, making 1 larger frosting dollop for the body and 1 smaller one on top for the face.
5. Place 2 pretzels on the backside of the cupcake for the tail then arrange 4 candy corn pieces in front of them to finish the tail. Place another candy corn on the smaller dollop for the beak and 3 brown M&Ms on each side for the wings.
6. Finish the turkey cupcake by placing 2 candy eyes above the beak.

Stomach starting to growl? Thanksgiving may look different this year, but there’s no better way to close out a year by showing others why you are grateful for them… and a nice plate piled high with fun desserts will be another twist to what could be, the craziest thanksgiving to date!