Whimsical Woodland Cookies

Kids are sure to go wild for this forest full of sweet flora and fauna. Easily assembled from basic ingredients—including chocolate-covered cookies, caramel chews, and Vanilla Tootsie Rolls—these desserts make a great snacktivity or a special surprise after a hike.

from FamilyFun

How To Make Your Own Woodland:

The base of each treat is a chocolate-covered cookie (we used Oreo Fudge Cremes). Use melted chocolate, applied with a toothpick, to attach the various parts. For fine details, such as stripes, use an edible-ink food marker. Mold the caramels and Tootsie Rolls with your hands.

Bear
Muzzle: caramel chew
Eyes: confetti sprinkles
Nose, mouth, and pupils: food marker
Ears: chocolate chips with caramel chew centers

Hedgehog
Quills: Coat the cookie with melted chocolate, then add chocolate sprinkles.
Head: caramel chew
Eyes and nose: food marker

Owl
Face: Vanilla Tootsie Roll
Eyes: food marker
Beak and feet: heart sprinkles
Wings: halved chocolate chips
Ears: quartered chocolate chips

Raccoon
Eye mask: Vanilla Tootsie Roll
Nose, mouth, stripes, and pupils: food marker
Eyes: confetti sprinkles
Ears: quartered chocolate chips with Vanilla Tootsie Roll centers

Toadstool
Dirt: Coat the cookie with melted chocolate, then add chocolate cookie crumbs.
Stem: white spice drop, flattened, rolled, and trimmed to 1/2 inch long
Cap: red spice drop with white spice drop spots

Tree
Dirt: Coat the cookie with melted chocolate, then add chocolate cookie crumbs.
Foliage: leaf-shaped spice drop sliced down the middle into two identical shapes (use one per tree)
Trunk: trimmed pretzel stick pressed into the tacky side of the leaf

Originally published in the November 2012 issue of FamilyFun