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Easy Kid-Approved Turkey Hand Sugar Cookies

Turkey Hand Sugar Cookies - featured image
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These adorable turkey hand sugar cookies are a fun and delicious Thanksgiving tradition. Made with a soft, buttery cream cheese sugar cookie dough and decorated with royal icing, they’re perfect for making memories with kids.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 oz (56g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 3–4 tablespoons warm water
  • Orange and red food coloring (gel preferred)
  • Candy eyes (about 24 pairs)
  • Orange candy corn or orange sprinkles (for beak)
  • Red candy or red frosting (for wattle)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the softened cream cheese and beat for another minute until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. The mixture should look creamy and pale yellow.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix! Stop as soon as you don’t see any more streaks of flour. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  3. Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two equal discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc about 1-inch thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
  4. Preheat and prep: When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take one disc of dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
  5. Roll and trace: On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thickness. Have your child (or you!) place their hand flat on the dough. Using a sharp knife, carefully trace around their hand, leaving about ½ inch of space around the fingers. Carefully lift the hand-shaped dough and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get about 6-8 hand cookies.
  6. Bake: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden brown. The centers will still look soft and slightly puffy. Do not overbake! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Make the royal icing: While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 3 tablespoons of warm water and whisk until smooth. The icing should be thick but flow off the whisk in a ribbon. If it’s too thick, add another ½ tablespoon of water. Divide the icing into two bowls. Color one bowl orange and the other bowl red. Transfer each color to a separate piping bag or zip-top bag.
  8. Decorate the turkeys: Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s time to decorate. Use the orange icing to pipe five or six ‘feathers’ on the back of the hand. Use the red icing to pipe a small wattle on the thumb side of the palm. Press two candy eyes onto the palm area. Use a piece of orange candy corn or an orange sprinkle for the beak. Let the icing set for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading. Do not overbake; cookies should be slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven. Let cookies cool completely before icing. Royal icing dries quickly, so keep it covered with a damp paper towel when not in use.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey cookies, hand cookies, sugar cookies, Thanksgiving cookies, kid-friendly, easy sugar cookies, cream cheese sugar cookies, royal icing cookies

Find it online: https://dinadinnertable.com/easy-kid-approved-turkey-hand-sugar-cookies/