Making festive turkey cookie treats is a fun project for the whole family to enjoy around Thanksgiving. With just a few simple ingredients and decorating techniques, you can create adorable turkey cookies that will impress your guests and get everyone in the holiday spirit

Overview of Turkey Cookie Ingredients

The basics for making turkey cookies include:

• Sugar cookie dough – Either homemade or store-bought refrigerated dough works well. Plain sugar cookie dough holds its shape best for cutting out the cookies.

• Food colorings – Assorted gel food colorings in fall shades like orange yellow red, and green add festive decoration.

• Candy corn – The white and yellow pieces get cut up to form the feathers.

• Chocolate melting wafers – Melted chocolate helps attach the candy corn feathers to the cookies

• Mini chocolate chips – Use two chips per cookie to make the turkey’s eyes.

• Pretzel sticks – Cut into 1-inch pieces and attached with melted chocolate for the feet.

• Decorating icing – White frosting or store-bought canned icing works to glue on the decorations.

How to Shape and Decorate Turkey Cookie Treats

With your ingredients assembled, here are the easy steps for decorating turkey cookie treats:

1. Prepare the cookie dough: Take refrigerated cookie dough out ahead to soften, then preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a turkey-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough.

2. Bake the cookies: Place cut out shapes 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool completely on wire racks.

3. Make the candy corn feathers: Use kitchen shears to cut the yellow ends off candy corn pieces. Cut the ridges off the white sections and discard the centers or eat them!

4. Attach the feathers: Melt the chocolate wafers following package directions. Use a small amount of melted chocolate to glue rows of candy corn feathers to the cookies, forming the tails.

5. Add chocolate chip eyes: Use dots of melted chocolate to attach two mini chocolate chips to each cookie for the eyes.

6. Create triangular beaks: Cut orange candy melts into triangular peak shapes. Attach to cookies as beaks with melted chocolate.

7. Make pretzel feet: Cut pretzel sticks into 1-inch pieces. Glue to bottom edges of cookies with melted chocolate for the feet.

8. Draw legs and wattles: Use food coloring gels to draw small lines for legs and red wattles on the cookies’ fronts.

Decorating Tips for Turkey Cookie Success

Follow these helpful tips for making your turkey cookies look their best:

• Use bright gel food colors for vivid details like legs, eyes, and wattles.

• Attach candy corn feathers close together in neat rows for a realistic feathered effect.

• Draw the legs and wattles while the chocolate sets to prevent smearing.

• Place pretzel feet near the cookie edges for stability.

• Let all decorations set completely before moving finished cookies.

• Work over wax paper or parchment to catch fallen sprinkles, chips, etc.

Creative Variations to Try

While basic turkey cookies are fun, you can get creative with fun additions like:

• Pilgrim hats – Cut out small black fondant circles and drape over frosted cookies for pilgrim hats. Secure with frosting dabs.

• Feathered edges – For a feathery look, glue coconut flakes dyed in fall colors around the cookies’ edges.

• Turkey gift boxes – Arrange cookies in paper muffin cups folded into boxes and tie with baker’s twine.

• Turkey place cards – Glue a lollipop stick to the cookie backs to use as place cards. Write guests’ names on the sticks.

• Hidden pumpkin faces – Use a pumpkin cutter on half the cookies, removing centers. Hide a candy pumpkin face inside.

Fun Ways to Serve Turkey Cookies

However you choose to serve them, turkey cookies make a festive addition to Thanksgiving. Creative presentation ideas include:

• Arranging the cookies on a tiered cookie stand or pedestal plate for a stunning centerpiece.

• Placing the cookies in a large cornucopia basket surrounded with fall fruits, nuts, or gourds.

• Packing turkey cookies in cellophane treat bags tied with raffia to send home as favors.

• Setting out the cookies with pie and cider at a Thanksgiving cookie exchange party.

• Serving cookies with milk in turkey-shaped mugs for kids’ place settings.

• Displaying cookies on a wood cutting board surrounded by fruit as part of a dessert spread.

Storing and Freezing Cookies

For longest freshness, store unfrosted turkey cookie shapes at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 1 week. You can also freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months and decorate after thawing.

For best texture, store frosted or decorated cookies in single layers separated by wax paper in airtight containers at room temperature, for up to 1 week. You can freeze decorated cookies for 2-3 months as well. Thaw overnight before serving.

Easy No-Bake Turkey Cookies

A fun no-bake version can be made using graham crackers, icing, and decorations:

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers
• Icing: 1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar, 1⁄4 cup milk
• Food colorings
• Candy corn
• Pretzel sticks
• Mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Break graham crackers in half and spread icing on one half. Place halves together as the “body.”

2. Decorate with candy corn “feathers,” pretzel “feet,” and chocolate chip “eyes” as you would regular turkey cookies.

3. Let icing set before serving.

Gobble Up Those Creative Turkey Treats

With their adorable designs and autumnal flair, baked or no-bake turkey cookies are sure to brighten up any Thanksgiving. Customize your turkey cookies with fun additions like pilgrim hats, hidden pumpkin faces, or other creative options. Making these gobble-worthy turkey treats is an enjoyable holiday activity for all ages. However you choose to serve them up, these clever cookies will delight guests and add a festive touch to your Thanksgiving table!

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