No Bake Turkey Cookies

I was looking through my recipe box the other day and came across the recipe for No Bake Turkey Cookies.  The last time I made these cookies, my son and his cousins were young kids.  A wave of nostalgia swept over me so I went to the store and bought the ingredients.

You start with these:

and end up with these:

The easiest way to make the cookies is to set everything up in an assembly line.  Put the malted milk balls in one bowl, red cinnamon candies in another and candy corn in yet another.  Take the cookies apart and separate the cream filled side from the plain side.

Normally, when I work with frosting, I use a pastry bag.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work with this recipe.  Since a pastry bag is open on one end, it's difficult to keep the bag closed while assembling the pieces periodically. You can use a knife or, what I prefer, a decorating set.

A decorating set is similar to a cookie press.  It has a tube that can be filled, in this case, with frosting.  Instead of having interchangeable discs like a cookie press, the tube has a coupler -- a device that lets you easily and quickly change tips -- with a pastry tip attached.  After the tube is filled with frosting and the handle attached, the frosting can be piped using as little or as much as you need.  I find this much easier to use than a knife, especially when I only need a dollop of frosting.

If you're making a large number of cookies, it's a good idea to make them in batches so the frosting doesn't dry before the cookies are assembled.  I work in batches of 10.

Line up the malted milk balls -- the turkey body -- and add a dollop of frosting to each one.

Before the frosting dries, press a red cinnamon candy -- the turkey head -- into the frosting.

While those pieces set up, add a dollop of frosting on the cream filled side of the cookies.

Place a malted milk ball on top of the frosting, pressing down lightly so it adheres to the cookie.

Spread frosting on the inside half of each cookie that does not have the cream filling.

After the frosting is on the cookies, attach several pieces of candy corn for the tail.  I use five pieces per cookie, but add more if you have room or think it looks better.

While the tails dry, add a dollop of frosting in the center of each turkey body.

Attach the tail to the turkey body by pressing it against the frosting.

Store the completed cookies in the refrigerator so the frosting doesn't get soft and the pieces fall off.

Kids love to help make these cookies and, more importantly, it's something they remember doing when they get older.  The cookies may not be gourmet or look picture perfect but, to me, making memories is what it's all about.

No Bake Turkey Cookies

cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (one per turkey)

malted milk balls (one per turkey)

red cinnamon candies (one per turkey)

1 (16 oz.) container ready to spread chocolate frosting

1 (13 oz.) pkg. candy corn

Separate the cookies, leaving cream filling on one side; set cookie halves without filling aside.

Put a dollop of frosting on each malted milk ball -- turkey body -- and attach a red cinnamon candy -- turkey head.  Put a dollop of frosting in the center of each cookie half with cream filling.  Press the turkey body into the frosting.

Spread chocolate frosting on the inside of each cookie half that does not have cream filling.  Arrange candy corn -- turkey tail -- on the frosting.  Put a dollop of frosting behind the turkey body and attach the turkey tail.  Store cookies in the refrigerator.

© Margaret's Morsels