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Turkey Dinner Cupcakes Recipe

Turkey Dinner Cupcakes Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Here's a turkey that even a vegetarian would love. Have a little fun on Thanksgiving and serve these right alongside the main course. —Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut

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Turkey Dinner Cupcakes Recipe

Prep: 1-1/2 hours

Yield: 24 Servings

90 90

Ingredients

2-inch slice pound cake (Sara Lee)
2 cups corn flakes
Green and yellow food coloring (McCormick)
2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
24 vanilla cupcakes baked in orange foil liners
24 honey wheat sticks (Pringles)
144 soft caramels (Kraft)
Orange round candies (Sixlets)
Yellow and purple candy-coated sunflower seeds (Sunny Seed Drops)
Ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Tint 3 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting light green with the green and yellow food coloring. Spoon the frosting into a resealable bag; set aside. Spoon 3 tablespoons vanilla frosting into a resealable bag; set aside.
2. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place the corn flakes in a large bowl. Tint 1/2 cup of the vanilla frosting green with the green food coloring. Heat the green frosting in a microwave-safe bowl until liquid, about 10 to 15 seconds, stirring well. Pour the frosting over the corn flakes and toss until completely coated. Pour the coated corn flakes onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread out into a single layer. Allow the corn flakes to dry, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut the pound cake into 1/8-in. cubes; cover until ready to use.
4. Cut the wheat sticks in half. Soften several caramels in the microwave for no more than 3 seconds. Flatten a caramel slightly and place one end of a wheat stick in the center of the flattened caramel.
Bring the caramel up and over the end of the wheat stick and shape into a drumstick. Trim the overhanging end of the wheat stick to 1/2 in. with a serrated knife. Continue to make 48 drumsticks.
5. Microwave four caramels at a time to soften, about 3 seconds. Press the caramels together and roll them out to a 3-1/2-in. diameter. Cut caramels into a 3-1/2-in. circle with a round cookie cutter or the opening of a glass. Cut out an opening for the stuffing about 1-1/2 in. wide and deep. Repeat with the remaining caramels to make 24 skins. Place the caramel skins between sheets of waxed paper. (The drumsticks and skins can be made up to 4 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.)
6. Place a mound of vanilla frosting on top of a cupcake; top with a caramel turkey skin. Tuck the edge of the caramel in 1/4 in. from the edge of the cupcake. Use a small knife to push the caramel into the frosting: it will make the turkey look plumper and give room for the lettuce corn flakes. Pinch the ends of the caramel opening; some of the frosting will pop out. Press some of the cake cubes into the frosting as the stuffing.
7. Lightly brush one side of each drumstick with a bit of water. Press each drumstick to each side of the stuffing opening. Hold several seconds to secure. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks.
8. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Add the green corn flakes around the edge of the cupcake to look like lettuce. Use some vanilla frosting if necessary to help secure. Pipe dots of vanilla frosting on the ends of the wheat sticks to look like the ends of the turkey bones. Add more cake cubes as stuffing if desired.
9. Snip a small corner from the bag with the light green frosting.
Pipe a few dots around the turkey and add the candies and seeds as fruit. Cluster the purple seeds as a bunch of grapes and pipe a dot of frosting on top as the stems. Sprinkle the top of the caramel turkey with some cinnamon. Yield: 2 dozen.

Originally published as Turkey Dinner Cupcakes in Taste of Home October/November 2010, p97

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Reviews for Turkey Dinner Cupcakes

Turkey Dinner Cupcakes

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Reviewed on Nov. 26, 2012 by GramZ63

Wouldn't these be wonderful as place card holders at each place setting! What a unique "eye candy" for our guests...plus it is dessert

Reviewed on Jul. 31, 2012 by AbbyDostie

way to complacted

Reviewed on Dec. 13, 2011 by BakerAnne

It was fun but very time consuming. I did not like the corn flake part of it so I used icing instead. I tried to make it look like lettuce. I gave away about 30 and everyone loved them. I will do them again.

Reviewed on Dec. 05, 2011 by arb0504

I added one simple step to this, I filled the cupcake with jellied cranberry sauce. Overall the outcome was and ok product but you definitely need to set aside the whole day to do this recipe. Very time consuming. The carmel stuck to the wax paper as I was trying to make flat. The corn flakes didn't take the frosting as nicely as in the picture. My cupcakes were smaller so I had to adjust the "turkey" accordingly. I got one done and didn't have the patience to do the rest. So I just filled the rest with the jelly and did frosting as normal. The family did really like and was amazed with the one cupcake though. So if you have the patience for the recipe its really well received , but definitely not as easy as they make it look in the video.

Reviewed on Nov. 23, 2011 by Luv2bake3364

Hi everyone, I just wanted to take the time to let you all know that the Turkey cupcakes, come from the cupcake, Hello Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, They make such amazing cupcakes. There is also another book they have out called Whats New cupcake,and another book that is comming out in january called, Cupcakes Cookis and Pie Oh My. Personaly, I love these books and I order from Amazon.com. I have always wanted to be a pastry chef, but , unfortunately, It never happened. I am now disabled from 2 bad accidents, but I still bake, no matter how bad it gets, I love the cake, cookie and cupcake decorating. I do that now, Im teaching myself, and its not easy, sone wrote in their review about these cupcakes that they should have a video showing you how to do this, Oh, Hello cupcake also has a web site, they have some how to do videos, I hope that helps,before I forget, dkeaton55, you said that you couldnt find the chocolate covered sunflower seads, I know that it is to late now, but I just received this taste of home in my email, Nuts online has them, at the price is pretty good for a pound, also, in the back of the Hello cupcake books, they have sources on where you can get things, but the cupcakes, really do not need any fancy baking tools.Somethings might have to be ordered online, for me I dont have a choice, as I said I am disabled and I cant drive anymore., Im sorry if this reveview was long winded, but baking is something I am really passionate about, I hope this might help some of you, And I hope you check out the books I talked about, They really are pretty amazing, you'll know what I mean if you take a look or buy them.especially that you pretty much use everyday things. A very Happy Thanksgiving, as well as a happy and healthy holiday to come. once again, sorry about this being to long.

Reviewed on Nov. 21, 2011 by Silljanna

These are fun to make if you take the time. I got a lot of compliments.

Reviewed on Nov. 21, 2011 by pmcollector

I haven't made these, but in reading the directions the inside of the turkey is all frosting, I think I would try using a malted Milk ball in the center as it would give you something more solid to work against and not quite as sweet. I would love to try these, but it won't be this Thanksgiving. Happy Holidays to all.

Reviewed on Nov. 21, 2011 by catlovesbooks

Quite time consuming, and too sweet to eat! They were adorable however, and were worth it all for the presentation. :)

Reviewed on Nov. 16, 2011 by dkeaton55

I haven't made these cupcakes yet but can't wait to get started. I can't find the sixlets and the candy coated sunflower seeds.

Reviewed on Nov. 14, 2011 by Regi M

Great idea and those of us who love to cook and create will find the time. Just saw the link to this recipe on a similar one called "Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes". The "turkeys" in that one are probably easier to make as they are out of whole caramels - slightly softened in the microwave. I like the option on this one of adding "stuffing". As our Canadian Thanksgiving is in October I'll be trying a combination of both recipes for Xmas. Special occasions and people are always worth going the extra mile for and my time and efforts are always appreciated. Thanks for the ideas Karen.

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