corny cookiesI don't know about your kids, but mine aren't huge fans of pumpkin pie. Every Thanksgiving I watch them try to like it, because, well, by the time you're 4 years old, you know pumpkin pie is practically the whole point of the holiday, but they're still not sold. (Hey, I didn't like it when I was little either. I had an annual tradition of accepting a slice only so I could eat the dollop of whipped cream off the top, then dump the pie itself in the trash.)

Kids like their desserts fun and colorful, and that's what's great about these cookies: They're kid-friendly AND just as Thanksgiving-centric as pumpkin pie. Plus, your kids will have a blast helping you make them. (If you're not up for making the cookie dough from scratch, just buy a roll of ready-made. We won't tell.)

Corny Cookies from FamilyFun

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Vanilla frosting
  • Green fruit leather
  • M&M's or Reese's Pieces candies

Directions

  1. Using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the flour a little at a time until the ingredients are well combined. Chill the dough for several hours or overnight.
  2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Working on a floured surface with one part at a time, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a knife, cut out corncob shapes about 4 inches long. Place the cookies on non-greased baking sheets and bake for 9 minutes or just until the edges brown. Let the cookies set on the sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. Frost the cooled cookies. Next, use kitchen shears to cut husks from the fruit leather to fit the sides of each cookie. Press the husks in place atop the frosting, with the tips down a bit. Now fill in the middle with candy kernels gently pressed into place. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

 

Image via Istolethetv/Flickr