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Easy Thanksgiving Cookies

With our easy step-by-step instructions and photos, you CAN make these show-stopping Thanksgiving cookies. Everyone will be impressed and begging you to bake more!!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies
Servings: 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer
  • 1 Parchment Paper Roll
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 2 Baking Sheets
  • 1 Ruler
  • 1 Set of Cookie Cutters
  • 1 Pair of Scissors
  • 1 Set of Gel Food Color
  • 3+ Piping bags
  • Couplers
  • 2-3 Round TIps
  • 1 Petal Tip
  • 1 Offset Spatula
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • 2-3 Small Bowls
  • 1 Spoon
  • 1 Roll of Plastic Wrap
  • 1 Jar of Chocolate Sprinkles

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold can sub plant butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch do not omit or use corn flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Buttercream Ingredients

  • 2 cups unslated butter, cold can sub plant butter
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream can sub plant-based cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt about 1/8 tsp
  • cocoa for coloring later on

Instructions

Cookie Baking

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a stand mixer beat your butter on MED-HI for 1-2 minutes using the paddle attachment, scraping down as necessary.
  • Add your sugar and cream on MED until light and fluffy. Tip: You should no longer feel the large granules of sugar between your fingers.
  • Mix your eggs one at a time until combined. This prevents streaks of whites remaining.
  • Add in vanilla, and mix.
  • To a mixing bowl, add three (3) cups of flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk until combined.
  • Add your flour mixer slowly and mix on LOW-MED until it goes from crumbly to a cohesive lump that pulls away from the sides of the bowl a little bit.
  • If needed, add more flour! About ¼ cup at a time. (It’s likely you will.) Consistency should be firmer than chocolate chip cookie dough so it’s workable but soft enough to avoid a hard cookie.
  • If you pick up the top of your stand mixer, your dough should stick to the paddle without drooping or falling off and pulling dough away should pull away, not break away.
  • Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out your dough to ¼ inch. I always use a ruler. Cut into shapes and freeze on your baking sheet for about 7-8 minutes or refrigerate for 15 minutes. Repeat. (SEE TIPS)
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes. You’re looking for a set top, which will still be pale but won’t be shiny. You do NOT want brown edges! The bottom should only be thinking about browning. You want these to come out almost “underdone.”
  • Pull the entire sheet contents off by lifting the parchment from two corners at a diagonal and placing on a cooling rack/counter. Allow to cool completely on the counter before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter on MED-HI for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down.
  • Add powdered sugar on LOW-MED one cup at a time (trust me) and mix until combined.
  • Add in your heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat 3-5 minutes on MED-HI. You’ll notice a color and texture change! It will become whiter and much lighter and smoother.
  • For a smoother texture with fewer air bubbles, use a wooden spoon and mix back and forth about five minutes to knock out any air bubbles; just remember you’re not trying to mix in any more air!

Coloring the Frosting

  • Take a minute to consider how many of each shape you have and what colors you need! For example, I realized after baking I only made two acorns!!
  • Divide your buttercream into several small bowls but keep a large (I’d say half batch at least) white reserve! I’d say about half a cup each to start for the colors you’ll need more of.
  • Using your gel colors, mix your frosting. Start with just a little gel – it’s easier to add more than remove.
  • See notes for instructions about how to create each color.

Cookie Decorating/Assembly

  • Take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it out. Plop your colored buttercream down, just a little blob. Now roll it up like a hard candy wrapper and you’ll have a buttercream log.
  • Using scissors, snip one end of your log.
  • Cut side down, place this into the piping bag all the way to the bottom!
  • Twist the top once or twice, apply pressure, and pipe away.
  • To switch colors, remove your buttercream, replace it with another log, and remember to squeeze out the rest of the old color onto a plate/paper towel before using.

Notes

Creating the frosting colors: 
Pie orange: Orange w/ a hint of brown and yellow
Crust color: A couple of drops of brown with a tiny half drop of yellow (add sparingly)
Dark brown: A tablespoon or two of cocoa with brown gel to supplement
Green: Use blue sparingly, it goes a long way