How to Make Turkey Plaque Cookies

Written by Mike Tamplin • Oct 27, 2020

If these turkey plaque cookies look a little familiar, you have a good eye!

Last fall, when I released my turkey platter design, I had a few requests for a single cookie version of the platter. Also, if it could be personalize, that would be even better.

This year, I tried to accommodate and came up with two turkey designs- a chubby turkey that is more square-ish in shape, and a wide turkey plaque designed to allow more room across the belly for longer names or phrases.

For this tutorial I'll be decorating the wider version. However, the same decorating steps applies to both turkey designs.

Turkey Plaque Cookie Cutters

Just added to the shop are this new wide turkey plaque cookie cutter and this chubby turkey cookie cutter.

These turkey plaque cookie cutters are available in a number of sizes, but for this tutorial I will be decorating the large size.

Template for the Turkey Plaque Cookie

To help with the decorating process, I made a PDF template of all the Thanksgiving designs, including this turkey plaque cookie.

Click the link below for the downloadable template PDF file.

2020 Thanksgiving Platter Cookie Templates

If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by cutting out the template and tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.

The Decorating Process

For the colors used for these turkey cookie pieces, you will need the following suggested colors:

White flood royal icing (I used Americolor Bright White.)
Light Blue flood icing (I mixed Americolor Wedgewood with a touch of Super Black.)
Darker Blue flood icing (I used more food gel concentration of the Light Blue icing color above.)
Dark Brown icing (I used Americolor Chocolate Brown.)
Light Brown icing (I used Americolor Warm Brown.)
Yellow icing (I used Americolor Gold.)
Black icing (I used Americolor Super Black.)
Red icing (I used Americolor Super Red.)

Step 1

For those without a projector, begin by making a guideline for where the main body should be. I made a template with template plastic from the PDF file above and used a food marker to draw the guideline on the cookie.

Step 2

Next flood the tail feather section with different colored icing in a rainbow or arched shape. I started with the light blue, then added the darker blue and white to the top.

After the tail feather section is flooded and still wet, quickly drag a toothpick or scribe tool between each scallop towards the center of the cookie as shown below. Be sure to wipe the tip of the toothpick/ scribe tool after EACH swipe through the icing. Otherwise, you'll leave unwanted color all over the cookie.

Once, the icing had time to set, fill in the body section with brown icing.

Step 3

Time to move on to the head section. I begin by first sketching in the head details with a food pen as a guide.

Then I filled in the beak section with gold icing and the neck with light brown icing.

Step 4

After those sections have set, fill in the head area with light brown icing. Also, outline the top of the feathers with white icing and the body with brown icing, as shown.

Finish the details by outlining the head, adding an eye, the red snood, and a custom message to the middle. I went with "gobble" but add anything you wish. I also added a small smile with a food pen.

Video Tutorial

The steps above are summarized in this time-lapsed video I put together.

Let's talk packaging. Because these turkey plaque cookies make great edible place setting cards, presentation and packaging are just as key to keep in mind.

For the wide turkey plaques I used in this tutorial, I love these 3 3/4" x 1" x 5 3/8" from Clearbags. They come in a number of colors too. Just a reminder, this is the LARGE cookie size.