Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are are getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving....full of family, friends and PIE!

If you're in the mood to whip up some cookies to take to the feast, here's a simple idea for you.  This turkey doesn't require a special cutter....it's a combination of a few shapes you probably have already...or can cut by hand. 

I used a flower cutter, a small circle, and hand-cut a small rectangle.  A video of the process of putting them all together is on University of Cookie.

This turkey shape idea came from Paper Glitter's free Thanksgiving printables. Printables and kids' coloring books are great places to look for cookie inspiration.

Make your cookies, break out the royal icing along with Americolor food colorings in Super Red, Orange, Chocolate Brown, Egg Yellow and Super Black.   Have fun!

Happy Thanksgiving, you guys!  I am thankful for each and every one of you....except for you spammers, but other than that....each and every one. :)

Gobble, gobble!
{ps...to my cousin, Maura, currently in labor with her first little one...we are thinking of you! Can't wait to meet your little turkey!}

Finally, fall

It's is finally feeling like fall around here. As I type, it is 48 degrees outside and the high is expected to only reach 55!!! This is what I love....bring on the sweaters, jackets and boots! To go with our fall-like weather, we have some fall cookies! I made two versions of acorns and leaves...dotty and with GOLD sparkling sugar. I was in desperate need to update my acorns. You can see here...years ago, the first and only time I made them (with apples)...blah. I think my cookies turn out better if I try not to be so literal with them. Know what I mean? The dots make them fun...to me at least. Here's more info on applying dots. This gold sparkling sugar is so pretty. I found it online at sugarcraft.com. It comes in silver, too. I bought it for Christmas cookies, but couldn't wait to dig into it. I think these would be pretty with a monogram on the leaves for a fall wedding.Our dining room table was half covered in cookies (I have a hard time making one batch of cookies). A box went to our contest winner, a box to my nephew, 4 boxes with my husband for customers and one to the volunteers at the food pantry where my son & I work every Thursday. Someday, I'd like to do this. Lydia at The Perfect Pantry is the woman behind this wonderful idea!

Happy fall, everyone! I'm off to enjoy this weather while it lasts!

Gobble, Gobble

To make these turkey cookies:

1. Outline the turkey body in brown using a #2 tip. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
2. Thin royal icing in brown, red, orange and yellow to the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes. Run a rubber spatula through the icing to pop any bubbles that formed on the top. Pour into 4 separate squeeze bottles. (Red: AmeriColor Super Red, Orange: AmeriColor Orange mixed with a few drops of Super Red, Yellow: AmeriColor Gold mixed with Americolor Egg Yellow)
3. Fill in (flood) the turkey shape with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to spread to corners.
4. FOR DOTS: While the icing is still wet, drop dots of red, orange and yellow onto the brown icing.
   FOR FEATHERS: While the icing is still wet, squeeze a curved line in each color. Immediately run a toothpick through the icing at intervals going toward the middle to make feathers.
5. While the flood icing is drying, use a #1 tip and un-thinned orange icing to pipe the feet and beak.
6. Make the "wattle" from un-thinned red icing using a #1 tip.
7. After the brown icing has dried at least one hour, use a #1 or #2 tip to pipe an eye in black. (Spectrum Super Black)

Give Thanks

It's that time of year to really be thankful for our blessings. Here's how to make these sweet little pilgrim boys and girls: (All icing is royal icing)

1. Using a #2 tip, outline ears and bottom of the faces onto cookie with fleshtone colored icing. (AmeriColor Copper/Fleshtone)
2. Using a #2 tip, outline hair with yellow icing, meeting up with flesh outline. Use the same icing to outline cookie edge. (Spectrum Lemon Yellow mixed with AmeriColor Egg Yellow)
3. Outline pilgrim hat with a #3 tip, meeting with pilgrim hair. (Spectrum Super Black)
4. Thin fleshtone icing to the consistency of syrup. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit several minutes. Stir gently to pop bubbles that have formed on top. Pour into a squeeze bottle and fill in the pilgrim faces. Use a toothpick to coax the icing into all corners and to edges.
5. Using the same method as above, fill in yellow hair and black hat.
6. Thin white royal icing and fill in remainder of the cookie.
7. Let dry for 1 hour.
8. Using a #1 tip, dot eyes on the faces.
9. Using a #1 tip, add a buckle to the hat and detail to hair.
10. Let dry overnight. (This is a must for the next step.)
11. With food coloring pens, add a mouth and "give thanks", or personalization would be nice here for place cards. (AmeriColor Gourmet Writer pens)

Happy Thanksgiving!