Making Thankgiving Cookies

Recommended Age Group: 2 years +

Materials Required:

• Ready to Bake Sugar Cookie Dough
• Rolling Pin
• Thanksgiving Cookie Cutters
• Decorative Candy
• Decorative Icing
• Flour
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheets
• Water
• Spatula

Instructions:
Sprinkle water on the countertop and lay a sheet of parchment paper over the water. This will help the paper stay in place. Break off a chunk of the sugar cookie dough, sprinkle it gently with flour, and begin rolling it out using the rolling pin. This is a great area for children to help.

When the dough is flat, position your cookie cutters and let your child push it down to cut out the shape. Thanksgiving shapes such as turkeys are especially fun, but even circles or gingerbread men cutters can become pilgrims, Native Americans or Thanksgiving themed cookies.

Carefully cut out as many shapes as your rolled section of dough will contain. Then gently peel away the extra dough leaving the shapes behind. Carefully remove the cut cookies from the parchment paper with a spatula, and place them on the cookie sheet. When the sheet is full, bake the cookies according to the recommendations on the package of cookie dough.

Repeat the cycle until all the dough is rolled, cut and baked. (Or you have enough for the time being.)

Allow the cookies to cool, and then place them on a new piece of parchment paper. Carefully use the icing, candies, and food coloring to create designs and characters special to the holiday. For example, use food coloring to make light brown icing then spread the icing on a turkey shape. Carefully placed sprinkles can make eyes and a beak, and more liberal sprinkles can denote feathers.

A circle cookie can be covered in chocolate frosting and then candy can be used to outline a leaf, pumpkin or other seasonal shape.

The cookies are not only delicious, but encourage creativity and bonding time for both you and your child.