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Wholesome Turkey Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing

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These wholesome turkey sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and just sweet enough, with a royal icing that sets up beautifully. Perfect for Thanksgiving bake sales or a fun activity with the kids, they use simple, wholesome ingredients for a treat that feels good to eat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 3–4 tablespoons water, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • Food coloring (orange, red, yellow, brown)
  • Turkey-shaped cookie cutter
  • Piping bags or zip-top bags
  • Small round piping tips (Wilton #2 and #3)
  • Edible glitter or sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, coconut oil, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes with a stand mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
  2. Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined. The mixture might look a little curdled—this is normal.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or freeze for 20 minutes if in a hurry).
  6. Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
  8. Cut out the shapes: Use a turkey-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Press straight down and lift up without twisting. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just barely golden. Centers should still look slightly soft.
  10. Cool completely: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  11. Make the royal icing: In a medium bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 3 tablespoons water and vanilla extract, beat on low speed until smooth. Add remaining water if needed to achieve a thick but flowable consistency.
  12. Color the icing: Divide icing into small bowls. Add gel food coloring: orange for beak, red for wattle, yellow for feathers, brown for body. Stir until even.
  13. Decorate the cookies: Transfer each color to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Outline and fill turkey body with brown, beak with orange, wattle with red, feathers with yellow. Let base colors dry for about 15 minutes.
  14. Add details: Add eyes, feather lines, or other details using toothpicks or same colors.
  15. Let the icing set: Allow decorated cookies to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or until icing is completely hard.

Notes

Don’t skip chilling the dough—it’s crucial for clean shapes. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Royal icing consistency is key: thicker for outlining, thinner for flooding. Humidity can affect drying time; use a fan to speed it up. Cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, Thanksgiving cookies, healthy sugar cookies, whole wheat cookies, bake sale cookies

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/wholesome-turkey-sugar-cookies-with-easy-royal-icing/