Preparation
Martha is very fond of turkeys. She raises several varieties on her farm in Bedford, New York. Her love for the birds extends to these playful ways that she has used over the years to bring turkey to the Thanksgiving table in a manner that even those who don’t eat meat can enjoy.
For everyone who has ever set a butter dish on the Thanksgiving table and felt that was enough, Martha suggests aiming higher. One of her favorite Thanksgiving touches is to repurpose an antique chocolate mold, using it to form butter into a large turkey shape. “It adds a touch of whimsy to the holiday table,” she says. Here’s how to make a Molded Butter “Turkey”: Using a small offset spatula, fill a chocolate mold with room-temperature butter, then smooth the surface. Refrigerate overnight. To remove, open one side of your mold and set it on the counter, butter-side up; then slide a spatula into the center bottom and lift up. If the butter sticks, run the mold very quickly under lukewarm water, being careful not to melt the design.
Fresh corn kernels and cornmeal give these turkey-shaped cornbread loaves a wonderfully toothsome texture, while jalapeños, buttermilk, and cheddar add tons of flavor. The recipe makes enough for two turkey molds. Take it to the next level by serving with turkey-shaped butter.
Get the Cornbread “Turkeys” Recipe
This turkey-shaped mold is filled with a festive gelatin made with pomegranate juice, fresh cranberries, and three different kinds of citrus—clementines, orange juice, and lemon peel. It’s formed in a five-cup turkey-shaped mold and takes cranberry sauce to the next level.
Get the Cranberry-Pomegranate Gelatin Recipe
Although they’re technically edible, we’d skip nibbling on these eight-inch-tall beauties made in plastic chocolate molds. These birds are very sweet but are best used to decorate your dessert buffet table.
Get Martha’s Brown-Sugar Turkeys Recipe
A turkey to be admired, then enjoyed as a take-home gift. After all that stuffing, those sides, and slices of pie, who could devour a chocolate turkey too? Be like Martha and fill shallow chocolate molds with tempered milk and dark chocolate.
Learn How to Temper Chocolate
