As food bloggers whose dessert recipe list is longer than the first and second course offerings (see our Recipes page), ironically we do not always end our meal with something super sweet. Sometimes a simple salad of seasonal fruits is satisfying. But in observing the Feast Day of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, we enjoy the extra toppings of strawberry ice cream and whipped cream. Ith gu leòir (Scots Gaelic for “eat plenty”)!
Maraschino liqueur to moisten the fruits (optional)
Strawberry ice cream
Whipped cream
Direcitons
Cut up the fruits into bite-sized chunks. Keep them moist with maraschino liqueur, liquid from the cherry jar or kirsch (optional). Layer the fruits in a cup. Scoop strawberry ice cream on top of the fruits. Add whipped cream around the ice cream. Garnish with a cherry on top. Serve immediately.
Guests are guaranteed to “gobble gobble” up turkey cookies on Thanksgiving! These too-cute cookies are combined with candy to create the famous fowl. And they are photogenic, festive and a favorite for fall functions. It has been our tradition now to take these treats to Thanksgiving gatherings where the hosts are happy to have an alternate dessert to pies at their buffet table. The main parts of the original turkey cookie include Oreos, candy corn and chocolate peanut butter cups held together with frosting. We modified ours with round Nutter Butters, caramel candy corn and marzipan balls secured with peanut butter. Make both versions when you gather together with family and friends for Thanksgiving. They will be grateful for your generosity in sharing these turkey cookies!
Carefully pull apart one of the Oreo cookies. Gently press the candy corn onto the “double stuff” to make a fan-tail shape. Spread white frosting on the other half of the Oreo cookie. Press together. Refrigerate to set.
Unwrap the chilled Reese’s mini peanut butter cup. Slice a small section off the side for the body of the turkey cookie. Use chocolate frosting to secure the wide side of the Reese’s to the Oreo turkey tail and the sliced flat bottom to the other Oreo cookie base. Put a small amount of chocolate frosting on a Whopper to secure the head of the turkey.
Carefully dab the flat end of a mini chocolate chip with frosting and position it on the Whopper for the turkey beak. Using a small round tip, pipe the eyeballs with white frosting, pressing down lightly with your fingertip on the white points. Dab black gel icing on top of the white eyeballs. Finish the feet details with orange tube icing.
Carefully pull apart one of the round Nutter Butter cookies. Gently press the caramel candy corn onto the peanut butter filling to make a fan-tail shape. Spread peanut butter on the other half of the Nutter Butter cookie. Press together. Refrigerate to set.
Flatten with your fingers the bottom of a potato-shaped marzipan. Use peanut butter to secure a Whopper on the marzipan for the head of the turkey. Generously slather on peanut butter on the bottom of the Nutter Butter turkey tail and place on other Nutter Butter cookie base. Secure with more peanut butter and add the marzipan-Whopper body.
Carefully dab the flat end of a mini chocolate chip with frosting and position it on the Whopper for the turkey beak. Using a small round tip, pipe the eyeballs with white frosting, pressing down lightly with your fingertip on the white points. Dab black gel icing on top of the white eyeballs. Finish the feet details with orange tube icing.
Notes
The date of Thanksgiving varies annually. In the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada, it is observed the second Monday of October.
Thanks to Lisa L. for sending us our first batch of potato-shaped marzipan from Germany. We also found them at World Market here in America.
The round Nutter Butter cookies and peanut butter-flavored malted milk balls are available at Walgreens.
Use red tube icing to make the turkey wattle (optional).
Experiment with different colors and flavors of candy corn for the turkey tail.
Thanks to Islander’s brother, Kahuna, for creating the turkey cookies video tutorial above. It is our first YouTube post!
Islander’s Daddy would cook cashew chicken for his co-workers in the back kitchen of a Hawaii clinic where he currently is employed. Even though they are all in the food service industry, they still go nuts when they find out this dish is on the employees’ lunch menu. This classic Asian stir fry has become a favorite for our family and friends as well. The combination of chicken, crunchy cashews and colorful vegetables wok-tossed in a tasty sauce is a crowd pleaser. Stir up some smiles by cooking cashew chicken in observance of National Cashew Day.
Recipe
(From Daddy)
For the stir fry
3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup snow peas, tips removed
1 cup green onions, green tips only cut into one-inch pieces
1 cup cashews, toasted
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
1 ½ tablespoons sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce (we used Aloha Shoyu brand)
½ tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
Directions
Slice the chicken into thin, bite-sized pieces. Cut the stir-fry vegetables and set aside. Prepare the sauce by pouring the chicken broth into a small pot with the ginger slices.
To the pot mix in the sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer. In a small cup, dissolve the cornstarch the water to form a paste. Slowly pour this into the sauce to thicken. In a wok or skillet, heat the two tablespoons of oil. Saute the minced garlic until golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and fry until no longer pink. Stir in the vegetables and cook until crisp and tender. Mix in the cashews. Pour in the sauce and stir until all ingredients are combined. Let the sauce thicken a little more. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the ginger. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
Add a teaspoon of chili oil or red pepper flakes to the recipe for a spicy dish.
Dia duit and aloha. Failte and
e komo mai. Greetings and welcome to HI Cookery! Highlander and Islander (HI) are gradually building this blog by attempting to "cook the calendar" with ethnic and eclectic recipes.
HI COOKERY 