Turkey Cookies

The weather has finally changed here. It's rainy and cold (Arizona cold, not New York cold) and time for sweaters...yippee! I know I said I'd almost never mention the weather, but I am going somewhere with this. My favorite colder weather activity is baking. Even if it means I end up eating all the cookies myself because Mike's sweet tooth is on hiatus.

I've been putting together my Thanksgiving menu so that I can try to get some good deals on the ingredients I need. I love having things planned out and making lists. Love. They help me feel organized and sane in a house overrun by boys. I was having a great time making my Meal Ideas list and Ingredients list when my friend Liz post on FB that she was making Peanut Butter Cookies. I got jealous.

To my supreme delight, one of my absolutely favorite bloggers, Kristan @Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, posted Muddy Buddy Cookie Dough Truffles the next day. I swear she's psychic. Peanut butter cookie dough covered with chocolate and powdered sugar. Winner winner chicken dinner! If you've not read Kristan's blog before...I highly encourage you to click on over. She makes awesome treats, super creative cupcakes, she sparklers and is wicked funny. Everyday I click on over for the post and stay for the laugh.

I've been holding off making cookies so that Thing 1 and I can make turkey sugar cookies. But after the other night, I have the bug. I ate used all the candy corn I bought for the Halloween party in the candy corn cookies. Now I'm down an ingredient and candy corn is scarce since Halloween is over.

I'll be honest, I didn't want to pin Thing 1 or Thing 2 down long enough to trace their hands to make shaped cookies. So when I saw this version of turkey cookies I was sold. Here's to hoping Thing 1 and I don't eat the entire bag of candy corn before we start decorating the cookies.

Turkey Sugar Cookies
from Pilsbury

Ingredients:
Sugar cookie dough
Green Sixlets (or mini M&Ms)
Vanilla frosting*
Brown food coloring gel
Orange food coloring gel

Directions:

1. Cut sugar cookie dough into circles, or roll into golf ball size balls, and bake. Cool completely before decorating.
2. Split vanilla frosting into 2 bowls. Tint one bowl black and the other orange. Put frosting into its own piping bag and set aside.
3. Pick out whole candy corn pieces for your turkey tail. Pipe brown frosting around the outer edge of half a cookie. Arrange candy corn over frosting for feathers.
4. Pipe orange frosting onto each cookie to make a beak and feet. Use orange icing to attach baking pieces onto cookie for eyes. Pipe brown frosting onto green candies for eye centers.

See how there are little peaks on the eyes?

When the frosting sets a little, gently push the peaks down with your finger.

Vanilla Frosting

from allrecipes.com

submitted by P. Oakes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter, softened

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a small bowl cream together butter, confectioner's sugar and milk. When well mixed, add in vanilla. Mix well.