Turkey Sugar Cookies

Print Recipe

5 from 1 rating

Turkey Sugar Cookies

These adorable turkey sugar cookies bake up deliciously soft and chewy and are decorated with royal icing.

Prep Time30

Cook Time13

Additional Time1 30

Total Time2 13

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 202kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
1/2 cup or 4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temp 113g
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300g
1 large egg, room temperature 56g
2 tsp almond extract, optional 8g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
3 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 400g
1 Tbsp cornstarch 8g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1/2 tsp baking powder 2g

Royal Icing (adapted from Wilton)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 454g or a 1 lb. box
3 Tbsp meringue powder 28g
1/4 cup water, room temp 60g
2 Tbsp vanilla or almond extract 24g
2 tsp dark cocoa powder - to be added later 4g
Additional water to bring to a flooding consistency

Additional Supplies

Instructions

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese on medium speed with a hand mixer or whisk attachment until smooth.
Next, add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and mix on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
Add in 1 egg, 2 tsp almond extract (optional), and 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Mix on a medium speed until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups + 2 Tbsp flour (use a scale or fluff the flour in the bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it), 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp fine salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on a low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
At this point, the dough should still be pretty thick and sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in a piece of plastic wrap. I like to flatten the dough out into a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C for about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. If you put the cookie dough in the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften up a bit before trying to roll it out. Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. We will be rolling out the cookie dough on the plastic wrap to make cleanup a breeze and make cutting out the cookies easier. Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.
Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick (these rolling pin rings help a ton with getting a consistent thickness) and cut out shapes with a 3-inch round or flower-shaped cookie cutter. If you use a flower-shaped cookie cutter, you may want to cut away one of the petals at the base of each cookie (the area that will be between the feet). Use a kitchen brush to brush any excess flour off the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies don't spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1 inch apart.
Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 12-15 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (bake time will vary based on the cookies' size and shape, and the dough's thickness). The edges should be set but it's ok if the centers look a little bit soft. The cookies will continue to bake and firm up as they cool on the baking sheets. Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.
Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.
Pull out the 2nd chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 9-11. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.

Royal Icing

While the cookies cool, make the royal icing. This can be made a few hours in advance, or potentially the night before, but the icing can separate as it sits, so I don't recommend making it any further ahead of time.
Whisk together 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 Tbsp of meringue powder in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp vanilla or almond extract (I prefer the taste of almond extract). Mix on a low speed with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer to incorporate the liquid, then increase to a medium speed and mix until stiff peaks form (see picture above). It's ok to stop the mixer and check the stiffness - I usually check a few times before it's ready. This usually takes me about 3 minutes with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a stand mixer. Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is properly mixed together.
Mix in additional water 1 Tbsp at a time until a soft peak consistency is reached. I usually use 1 to 2 Tbsp of water, but it can vary from batch to batch. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the water is being incorporated into all of the icing. To test the consistency, dip the spatula into the icing and focus on the way it curls at the end of the spatula. It should curl back onto itself but still be able to keep its shape (see picture in post above). If it's too stiff, add a tiny bit more water. Or if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time.
Then it's time to color the icing. You should have roughly 18 ounces of icing. Scoop 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of icing into a separate small bowl. Add a squirt of yellow gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp), and stir until evenly colored. Scoop into a small piping bag and seal the top.
Before you color the rest of the icing, do one more consistency test. Cut the tip of the piping bag to create a very small opening (1-2 millimeters). Pipe an outline of a small circle (about 2 cm - similar to the feathers you'll be piping on the turkey cookie) on a piece of parchment paper and let it dry for a couple of minutes. Then fill it in and see how the icing settles. The icing should be quite thick, but if you wiggle the parchment paper a little or use a scribe to jiggle the icing lightly, it should settle into itself and look nice and smooth. If it doesn't, you may need to add a tiny bit more water to the icing. Or if it's too thin and the outline of the circle isn't keeping its shape, you can add more powdered sugar. Repeat this test as needed until the icing is the right consistency.
Next, scoop 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of icing into the same bowl and add a squirt of orange gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.
Scoop 3 ounces (1/3 cup) of icing into the same bowl and add a squirt of red gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.
Then scoop 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) of icing into the same bowl and add a drop of black gel food coloring (about 1/8 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.
Mix 2 tsp of dark cocoa powder into the remaining icing. This should make it quite a bit thicker. Then add additional water, 1 tsp at a time, until the icing reaches a thick flood consistency. To test the consistency, the icing should be able to run off the spatula in a thick stream, and you should be able to draw a figure 8 with the run-off icing. It should mostly settle back into the bowl of icing within 8 seconds, but not completely/still be a bit visible. Once the icing reaches this stage, pour it into a piping bag, and seal the top. Set aside.

Decorating These Turkey Cookies

When you're ready to decorate the cookies, cut the tips of the piping bags to create a very small opening (1-2 millimeters). You can always cut the opening wider, but you can't make it smaller once you cut it. I find it's a lot easier to control the icing as you decorate the cookies if you have a small opening.
This step is optional, but I find it super helpful! Use an edible marker to trace a circle on each cookie where the turkey's body will be. Then use the orange icing to pipe a ring over the outline, and pipe two little feet at the bottom of each cookie.
Next, use the orange, yellow, and red icing to pipe short, round feathers around the circle until you reach each foot. Start by piping the outline of each feather, then fill it in and shake the cookie gently to help the icing settle. Let the icing dry for about 15 minutes. By the time you finish the last cookie, the first should be ready for the next step!
Then fill the center of each cookie with chocolate icing. Once you've filled all the cookies, use the orange icing to pipe a beak in the center of the cookie. Then use the red icing to pipe a little teardrop next to the mouth (bonus points if you knew that part of the turkey is called the snood?!), and the black icing to pipe two eyes and eyebrows.
If you have some nonpareil sprinkles on hand, pick out some of the white sprinkles and gently press one onto each eye to give it a little more dimension. I lightly wet my fingertip which helps the sprinkle stick to it, then super gently press it into place in the black icing. The last step is to use the chocolate icing to pipe two wings near the feet.
Let the cookies dry for a few hours or overnight until the icing is firm to the touch. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Video

Notes

Substitutions and Swaps

Please refer to the substitutions and swaps section in the post above for all the ingredient variations that can be used in this recipe.

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make about 24, 3-inch cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter(s) you use.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use half a scrambled egg in the dough), but I don't recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

Making These Turkey Sugar Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend adding a layer of parchment paper between them.

This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies.

Baked, un-iced cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to decorate them until they’ve thawed to room temperature.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before icing them.

Tips for Making the Best Turkey Cookies

Really cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes fluffy and soft cookies.
Don’t overwork the cookie dough! It can overwork the gluten and result in tough, dense cookies.
Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/4 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over- or under-bake in the oven.
Take the time to chill the cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake and helps them bake up with a soft texture.
Liberally flour your counter before you roll out the cookie dough and move the dough around while you roll and cut the cookies.
Don’t overbake your cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.

Avoid leaving the icing uncovered for long periods of time or it will crust! Either immediately place it in piping bags or cover it with plastic wrap.
Make and color the icing right before you plan to decorate the cookies. Otherwise, the icing can separate!

Nutrition