Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I realize it’s not even Halloween yet, but it’s about time to start thinking about your Thanksgiving menu. Grandma’s extra special stuffing, your mom’s awesome sweet potato casserole and your aunt’s tasty concoction for the creamiest mashed potatoes ever… they are all staples in the traditional Thanksgiving feast. You can’t forget the star: the turkey. Today, I’m going to share a very special family recipe for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. But this isn’t just any turkey…

We like to call them Little Gobblers! When I was in 7th grade, my Aunt Dee Dee found this recipe and she and my mom have been making them every. single. year. since. I guess you can say it has turned into our very own family Thanksgiving tradition. We unwrap all of the ingredients, put in a good Christmas movie (most likely White Christmas) and start the assembly line. To make these adorable Little Gobblers, here’s your shopping list:

The assembly process is pretty much self explanatory. Just use the photo above as your guideline. Simple as that! However, we do have a few tips and tricks to pass along:

• The secret is in the icing. Over the years, we have tried several icings. Not only does it have to taste good, but it also needs to serve as “glue” to keep the Little Gobblers in one piece. Without good stiff icing, let’s just say they won’t ride in the car very well. In our opinion, Betty Crocker Cookie Icing works best. One tube will make about 6 Little Gobblers.
• Hunt them down. The Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies are used for the base and the back of the turkey. Sometimes, they can be a little hard to find. But if your grocery store carries them, you will find them in the ice cream topping section (you would think they would be in the cookie section, right?). But if you have trouble finding them, thanks to the World Wide Web, you can purchase them online. Or you can visit the Nabisco website and search for them by zip code. Also, make sure you buy an extra box because they tend to break very easily.
• From Point A to Point B. First of all, you need to make sure your Little Gobblers have enough time to sit and hang out before you show them off to your friends and family. When transporting these little guys, we line the bottom of deep Rubbermaid containers with paper towels. Then place the turkeys on the paper towels diagonally side by side (so the feathers don’t hit each other). The paper towels help the turkeys stay in one place. If we are making a whole flock of Little Gobblers, we like to use the disposable roasting pans.

Whether you decide to make these for Thanksgiving dinner favors, for the kids’ table, that class party you reluctantly signed up for or even something to take to your coworkers; these Little Gobblers will be the talk of the event… and might even out shine the “real” turkey.

In order to make things super easy for you to try this at home, I’ve created a printable shopping list along with a step-by-step assembly guide. Click here to download!

Photos taken by 7th House on the Left.