Kauchak Column: Jazz up Thanksgiving with Oreo turkeys

As I skimmed through my files looking for holiday fare, I came across a sketch I drew when my sons were in elementary school. The drawing illustrated how to fashion a turkey out of Oreo cookies, candy
corn, a Hershey kiss, a fudge-stripe cookie and a tube of ready-made frosting. I remember teaching this edible art project in my son’s classroom. He did too!

Turn these whimsical turkeys into favors on your Thanksgiving table by adding a name card to mark the place of each guest.

To accompany the main attraction, your savory roasted bird, I recommend my recipe for cranberry-apricot relish that’s cooked in the microwave. Tangy, moist bits of dried apricot combine with tart fresh
cranberries and a splash of Grand Marnier to create this made-for-company sauce. Leftover relish makes a luscious topping on lackluster cottage cheese!

Or, for convenience, try baked cranberries that can join the rest of your casseroles in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Flavors of orange, cinnamon and ginger meld with fresh whole berries as they bake.

If you want a leftover sandwich with a little attitude after you recover from your holiday feast, don’t be afraid to mix plain cranberry sauce right out of the can with a little mayo and horseradish to create a
zippy spread!

OREO TURKEYS

1 Oreo sandwich cookie for each

1 candy corn

1 Hershey kiss

1 fudge-stripe cookie

1 tube ready-made chocolate frosting

Unwrap kiss and cut or break off pointy tip. Using icing as “glue,” fasten flat bottom of kiss to top outside edge of Oreo. Place a dab of icing on wide end of candy corn; press corn onto top of kiss, forming
head and neck. Squirt a little icing on edge of fudge stripe cookie and press upright onto backside of Oreo to form tail. Allow to set for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

CRANBERRY, APRICOTS AND GRAND MARINER

1 (12-oz.) bag of fresh cranberries

1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cranberry juice, orange juice or water

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Rinse cranberries, drain well and remove any stems. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Put mixture into a microwavable 3-quart dish (allowing room to expand). Cover and cook for 7
minutes on high. Serve warm or chill.

BAKED CRANBERRIES

4 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

1 large naval orange, peeled and diced

1 cup sugar

¼ cup orange juice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole, cover and bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with turkey, chicken or pork.

Mary Ann Kauchak lives in Lake Ridge. Her third cookbook, “SHORTCUTS, TOO” is available at Mom’s Apple Pie in Occoquan. She can be reached at makauchak@comcast.net.