Turkey Cookies

1. Prepare sugar cookies and use this round fluted cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Bake according to directions. Let cool completely and start on royal icing.

Royal Icing

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the meringue and water. Whisk together for 1 minute until the mixture becomes frothy.
2. Add in the corn syrup, orange juice and vanilla. Whisk to incorporate.
3. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk until it becomes a thick icing. Pull up and pour some of the icing back into the bowl. The perfect flooding icing will take about 14 - 16 seconds to completely smooth out. If it is much quicker, add more powdered sugar. I would start with ¼ cup and go from there. If it's too thick, add another tablespoon of orange juice or water and test again.
4. Add 1/4 cup of the royal icing to a small bowl. Add in a drop or two of yellow and stir until combined.
5. Pour into a disposable piping bag with a small round tip.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with the colors orange, red and brown.
7. Using a ruler and food color markers, draw the lines on each indentation for the feathers.
8. Start with the yellow color, fill in every seventh feather with the same color. Let it crust for 10 minutes to prevent colors from bleeding together.
9. Repeat with the orange, red, and brown.
10. On a piece of wx paper, pipe the turkey heads. Start with a nice big circle and then pipe a skinny neck. Finish the neck with a small dot.
11. Set aside and let dry for about 2 hours.
12. Pipe a dot of yellow icing. Using a toothpick, stretch out the dot a little and make a point for the beak. Let it dry for about 15 minutes.
13. Add a little red from the top center of the beak to the side of the beak.
14. Add the white dots with the left over royal icing. Let the cookies and turkey heads dry overnight.
15. Using leftover royal icing, add a dot in the center of the turkey head. Place the center of the dried cookie.
16. Add a dot of royal icing to the fall leaf sugar decorations and place at the base of the neck.
17. Let dry.