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Easy Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies with Turkey Icing Recipe

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These soft, buttery sugar cookies are perfect for Thanksgiving decorating. They come together quickly with simple ingredients and hold their shape beautifully for festive turkey icing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 3–4 tablespoons water
  • Red, orange, yellow, brown, and black gel food coloring
  • Small edible candy eyes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; beat until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness.
  8. Cut into turkey shapes using a turkey cookie cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cuts.
  9. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
  10. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just barely golden.
  11. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  12. For royal icing: Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 3 tablespoons water and beat until thick and glossy (about 4-5 minutes). Adjust consistency with more water or powdered sugar as needed.
  13. Divide icing into small bowls and color with gel food coloring as desired.
  14. Transfer each color to a piping bag fitted with a #2 tip.
  15. Outline each cookie with brown icing, then flood the center with slightly thinner brown icing.
  16. While wet, pipe red, orange, and yellow dots or lines for feathers. Use a toothpick to create a marbled effect if desired.
  17. Attach candy eyes or pipe white and black dots for eyes. Pipe an orange triangle for the beak and a red wattle.
  18. Let icing set completely, about 2-4 hours, before stacking or serving.

Notes

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes for clean cuts. Do not overbake; cookies should look slightly underdone when removed. Royal icing consistency should be ’15-second icing’—holds a ribbon for about 15 seconds before disappearing. Work in batches when icing to prevent drying. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Thanksgiving sugar cookies, turkey cookies, easy sugar cookies, decorated sugar cookies, holiday cookies

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/easy-thanksgiving-sugar-cookies-with-turkey-icing-recipe/