Festive treats

You could just skip the turkey and head straight for dessert. Crate & Barrel makes it easy with its collection of six fall cookie cutters and “decoratifs,” which is fancy for “sprinkles.” The cookie cutters come in taffy apple, pie slice, scarecrow, pilgrim hat, apple and turkey shapes. You could also use them for breakfast instead (pumpkin pancakes, anyone?) Cookie cutters cost $2.95 for the set and decoratifs cost $4.95 for three tubes. To order, call (800) 967-6696 or visit www.crateandbarrel.com.

Berry good

When it comes to Thanksgiving condiments, there are two very distinct camps: the jellied cranberry sauce lovers and the whole-berry crew. For those of you who love jellied sauce but are frustrated by its dismal, loglike appearance, Ocean Spray offers a homemade alternative: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; add one 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium mixing bowl. Pour contents of saucepan into strainer. Mash cranberries with the back of a spoon, frequently scraping the outside of the strainer, until no pulp is left. Stir contents of bowl. Pour into serving container. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes one cup. For more holiday recipes, visit www.oceanspray.com.

Gobble-gobble

If this is your first year as host of the Thanksgiving dinner, don’t fret. The experts at Butterball’s Turkey Talk Line have been at it for 22 years now, and they can talk you through even the most beguiling bird dilemma. And they even know what to do with the leftovers, with recipes such as the pictured Turkey and Roasted Pepper Panini. To make it, you’ll need eight large slices of crusty Italian bread, eight slices cooked turkey breast, one jar (12 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained, one can (4.25 ounces) chopped black olives, 8 ounces sliced provolone or mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup creamy Italian or ranch salad dressing, and olive oil. Top each of four slices of bread with two slices turkey, two to three pieces pepper, 2 tablespoons of olives and 2 ounces of cheese. Spread remaining bread with salad dressing and place second slice of bread on top of cheese, dressing side down. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Brush outside of sandwiches with olive oil. Place sandwiches on skillet and heat until bread is golden, about 4 minutes. Turn sandwich over and grill second side until golden. Or place sandwich in a preheated countertop grill (i.e. George Foreman Grill) and press until bread is golden and cheese has softened, about 3 minutes. The talk line number is (800) BUTTERBALL.

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