Okay, let’s talk about making some Thanksgiving treats with the kids this year. It wasn’t about fancy pastry work, believe me. It was more about keeping little hands busy and having something fun to show for it at the end.
Getting Started – The Idea Phase
So, Thanksgiving dinner planning was in full swing, right? The turkey, the sides, all the grown-up stuff. But I thought, we need something specifically for the kids. Something they could actually help make without causing total kitchen chaos. I wasn’t looking for a five-star dessert, just some simple, festive fun. I remembered seeing some cute ideas floating around online, things made with candies and pretzels. Stuff that involved more assembly than actual baking.
Decision time: I settled on two main things:
- Little pretzel turkeys. You know, pretzels, Rolos, candy corn. Super simple.
- Acorn donut holes. Basically, donut holes dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. Can’t go wrong there.
Prep and Shopping
First step was hitting the grocery store. Made a list: mini pretzels, Rolo candies, candy corn (which is surprisingly hard to find sometimes after Halloween, but I managed), some googly eye candies (the kids love those), plain donut holes, chocolate melting wafers (milk and maybe some white), and fall-colored sprinkles. Got everything home, cleared a big space on the kitchen counter. Covered it in parchment paper because, let’s be real, chocolate and kids? It’s gonna get messy.
Making the Turkey Pretzel Bites
Alright, action time. I preheated the oven, just low, like 250F. Dumped a bunch of mini pretzels onto a baking sheet lined with that parchment paper. Tried to pick out the unbroken ones, mostly succeeded. Then, the kids helped – okay, mostly I did this part – placing one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel. Keeping tiny fingers from eating all the Rolos before they hit the tray was the real challenge.
Into the oven they went. Just for a few minutes, maybe 3 or 4? Just long enough for the Rolos to get soft and melty, but not turn into a puddle. Pulled the tray out carefully. Then, working fast while the chocolate was soft, we pressed a piece of candy corn into the top of each Rolo for the turkey’s “feathers.” Added two tiny candy eyes. The kids were actually pretty good at sticking the eyes on. Let them cool completely on the tray. Done. One dessert down.
Tackling the Acorn Donut Holes
This one was even easier, perfect for shorter attention spans. I got two bowls. Melted the chocolate wafers in the microwave – short bursts, stirring in between, you know the drill. Poured some sprinkles into another shallow bowl or plate.
Then it was assembly line time again. Dip, sprinkle, dry. We took a donut hole, dipped the top third or so into the melted chocolate. Let the excess drip off a bit. Then immediately dipped the chocolate part into the sprinkles. Placed them on another parchment-lined tray to set. The kids really got into the dipping and sprinkling part. Sprinkles ended up everywhere, naturally. On the counter, the floor, probably in their hair. But hey, they were having fun.
The End Result
So, after everything set, we had a platter of slightly wonky-looking pretzel turkeys and a bunch of chocolate-sprinkle acorns. Were they perfect? Absolutely not. Some turkeys were missing eyes, some acorns were more sprinkle than donut. But the kids were super proud because they made them. Stuck them in the fridge for a bit to make sure the chocolate was totally firm.
Come Thanksgiving dinner, those treats were gone fast. The kids pointed them out to everyone, “I made that one!” It wasn’t about complicated baking, just simple assembly and a bit of creative mess. Definitely doing something like this again next year. Easy, fun, and the kids felt involved. That’s a win in my book.
