Thanksgiving was a little bit unusual this year for us — as I’m sure it was for everyone else in the world. So the cookies had to be quirky, too. This little guy was the perfect addition to our dessert table, which also consisted of other new things like gingerbread pudding cake and chocolate mousse bars. No pie? Nope. Not this year. You see, the only kind of pie we all like is banana cream pie, which just didn’t seem like the right pie for the occasion. Enter this goofy-looking turkey cookie to save the day by providing a smile and a sugar rush.

The liquid amber trees in our yard are starting to drop leaves and I find great satisfaction in raking them up ... at least at the beginning of the season. I know I’ll grow weary of it in a week or two, but the first signs of autumn always give me joy. These beautiful, messy trees also inspired me to create cutout cookies and multi-colored Autumn Leaves are the result. I had so much fun making them and decorating them. I must admit that when it comes to leaves...baking them is more satisfying than raking them.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate the decorated cookie. No one really expects cookies for this holiday. They’re too busy looking for the pie, right? At least that’s the way it is in my family. This year, I just had to give in to the call of the turkey-shaped cookie cutter. The only reason I’ve resisted for the past few years is because of the color brown...yes, the color brown. Up to now, I haven’t been able to achieve the perfect shade of brown for the noble bird.