Sugar cookies are perfect for just about any occasion. They can be made in any shape and size, but the best thing about them is that they can be decorated just like we want to. There are lots of ideas out there, but most of them look like a lot of work and supplies necessary, not to mention the talent needed! So here is a tutorial on a very easy decorating technique that even beginners can manage: flooding. The key to success is to achieve the correct consistency of the royal icing and that is mostly something where practice plays the main role. Also, it is essential to work quickly, so the icing doesn’t get to dry before you can mix the colors.

So here is everything you need to make some stunning Thanksgiving Cookies to give away or to serve as a treat at the Thanksgiving Dinner table.

Thanksgiving Cookies: Easy Leaf Sugar Cookie Decoration

Watch a video to make this Thanksgiving Cookies: Easy Leaf Sugar Cookie Decoration

Click here to watch how to make Thanksgiving Cookies:

Supplies

• Sugar cookies in shape of leaves (maple leaves are ideal)
• Royal icing in at least three fall colors (orange, gold, yellow, red, brown are all great choices)
• Toothpicks
• Piping bags with a number 2 or 3 tip

Directions

1. Firstly, make sure the royal icing has a consistency that will allow you to pipe and flood it, without being too runny. Next, fill your piping bags with the icing. Now, choose a cookie and your first color and outline the cookie with it. Continue by piping another row of icing moving inwards. Repeat for a third time. Make sure to fill any gaps, but keep the icing uniformly.
2. Now it’s time to use the second color. In the same manner, continue filling the sugar cookie line by line. Make sure not to leave any gaps. After three runs, take the last color and fill the rest of the cookie line by line. Again, don’t leave any gaps.
3. For the last step, you will need to use a toothpick. With the tip of the toothpick and starting from the center, drag it through the layers to a cookies point, making lines towards the outer part of the leaf, in order to mix the colors. Continue like this to all points (you can do this with or without cleaning the tip of the toothpick, achieving different results).
4. Now start from the edge of the leaf between the points and move the toothpick’s tip towards the center of the cookie. Make sure to do this from all points to have the best result.
5. Do the same with your other cookies, choosing different color combinations.
6. All you have to do now is to let the leaves dry completely!

Making these wonderful Thanksgiving Cookies is easy and fun, and kids could help, too. It would be a great activity for a get-together before Thanksgiving, or even as an event until the Thanksgiving Dinner is ready; the cookies can dry until everyone is done eating and they would be wonderful for guests to take them with them as they leave. And, of course, what better way to thank a Thanksgiving host than to give them such stunning homemade cookies.

For more Thanksgiving recipes on Stagetecture, click here.