This Pilgrim Hats recipe has been a part of our Thanksgiving ever since the kids were little. It’s such a cute addition to any Thanksgiving menu. And kids many times prefer these treats to more grownup desserts like pumpkin pie. Serve alongside Quick Holiday Sweet Bread for a couple unique dessert or appetizer options.
And you can make these up to 3 or 4 days ahead, which really helps when you’re trying to manage all of the last-minute foods and decorations. Keep these in a tightly sealed container, and pull them out right before serving.
Kids like to help make these, too! Young kids can lay out cookies onto a tray and put the marshmallows on top. And older ones can help with the messier melted chocolate part, as well as with the yellow frosting buckles.
You’ll buy the fudge stripe cookies, whether the name-brand ones or a generic version; either is fine. Start by laying them out on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Then find the roundest of the large marshmallows in your bag and place one on top of each cookie.
How to Melt the Chocolate
Now for the tricky part: melting the chocolate. I highly recommend a double boiler. You put a couple inches of water in the bottom pan, heat it, and the heated water gently melts the chocolate, which is in the upper pan.
You can also use a microwave to melt chocolate. But the biggest rule is:
Don’t overheat the chocolate.
Overheated chocolate gets a thick, tacky texture that simply won’t spread onto the marshmallows. I read that you can add a teaspoon or so of boiling water to your overheated chocolate to revive it, but in my experience, nothing revives overheated chocolate. You can repurpose it (add it to future cookies or banana bread) and then start over again with the chocolate for your pilgrim hats.
Stop heating the chocolate when it’s 80% melted.
Then stir vigorously until all the chocolate is melted.
Next, stab a toothpick into a marshmallow and cover all marshmallow surfaces with chocolate. The top of the marshmallow will go down first onto the cookie. The cooled chocolate acts as glue to seal the marshmallow to the cookie.
Then mix up your yellow frosting (using very soft butter), place it into a decorating bag, and pipe a yellow buckle onto each hat.
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Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hats
Ingredients
- 20 fudge stripe cookies
- 20 large marshmallows
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Frosting:
- 2 Tbsp softened butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp milk
- 1 drop yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Lay cookies on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Set a marshmallow on top of each cookie.
- Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave, removing from heat when 80% melted; stir vigorously until all chocolate is melted.
- Stab a toothpick into a marshmallow to hold it while you use a knife or straight spatula to spread chocolate on every marshmallow surface.
- Set top of marshmallow onto cookie first and carefully remove toothpick.
- Mix up frosting.
- Pipe a square buckle onto each hat.
- Can make 3-4 days ahead; store in sealed container until serving.
Nutrition Facts
Thanksgiving Pilgrim Hats
Serves: 20
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 hat
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 120 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 4.5g | 6.2% | |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% | |
| Trans Fat 0 | ||
| Cholesterol 3mg | 1% | |
| Sodium 41mg | 1.7% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 19g | 6.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0 | 0 | |
| Sugars 11.5g | ||
| Protein 1g | ||
| Vitamin A 0 | Vitamin C 0 | |
| Calcium .5mg | Iron 1mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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