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The Best Turkey-Shaped Cookie Cake for Thanksgiving

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A show-stopping, buttery sugar cookie cake shaped like a turkey, decorated with candy corn feathers and a chocolate face. It’s a fun, kid-friendly Thanksgiving dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make and perfect as a centerpiece.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • About 1 cup candy corn
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips or melting wafers
  • 2 M&M’s or candy eyes
  • 1 small piece orange candy or fruit leather (for beak)
  • 1 red M&M or red candy (for wattle)

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla; beat on low until just combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low until dough just comes together.
  4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
  7. Cut out turkey shape using a turkey-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are just barely golden. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
  10. Pipe two small dots for eyes and press M&M’s into them. Pipe a small triangle for the beak and press orange candy into it. Add a dot for the wattle and press red M&M in place. Let chocolate set for 10 minutes.
  11. Arrange candy corn in overlapping rows starting from the back of the turkey to create feathers. Press gently into the cookie.
  12. Let decorated cookie sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to set.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading. For best results, use room-temperature egg and properly softened butter. The cookie can be baked up to 2 days ahead and decorated the day of serving. If candy corn doesn’t stick, use a tiny dab of melted chocolate as glue.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey cookie cake, Thanksgiving dessert, sugar cookie, candy corn, turkey-shaped cookie, holiday baking, kid-friendly dessert

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/the-best-turkey-shaped-cookie-cake-for-thanksgiving/