We’re quickly approaching Thanksgiving, and these super easy Thanksgiving leaf cookies are a delicious way to kick off the festive season! We love our activities around here. Like many other autumn activities, cookies are one thing that you can prep way ahead of time. In fact, these leaf cookies work for all of autumn. So, make ‘em whenever you like! Read on to find out how to make super easy Thanksgiving leaf cookies!

You Will Need

• 2 large mixing bowls
• Electric whisk or mixer
• Rolling pin
• Leaf-shaped cookie cutters
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 3½ tsp cups Flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1½ cups room temperature butter
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate cookie decorating icing/writing icing
• Red, orange, and yellow cookie decorating icing/writing icing 

Instructions

1. Whisk together sugar and room temperature butter using an electric mixer. Whisk until fully blended and creamy.
2. Add 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt and vanilla extract to butter and sugar mixture. 
3. Add eggs to mixture and whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Get all of your dry ingredients together (flour, salt and baking powder) in a separate mixing bowl.
5. Using the lowest speed, use your electric whisk or mixer to add dry mixture little by little into your buttercream mix.
6. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
7. After removing the dough from the fridge, add flour to your rolling pin and the kitchen surface where you will be rolling out the dough. 
8. Place the handful of dough on your prepared surface. 
9. Return the dough bowl to the fridge.
10. Preheat your oven to 350F/180C).
11. Use your rolling pin to flatten and roll your handful of dough until it’s roughly a ½ inch thick.
12. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it in a layer of parchment paper (unless you have the non-stick silicone baking mats). 
13. Use your leaf cookie cutters to get as many cookies out of the flattened dough as possible.
14. As you cut them, lay them out on the prepared baking sheet. 
15. Once you have a full tray, bake for 6 minutes on 350F/180C.
16. Remove from the oven and let cool. 
17. Roll out some more parchment paper on a work surface like the kitchen table.
18. Decorate at-will using your fall-colored icing tubes!
19. Let dry and pop them on a plate.

About Stephen’s Place

Stephen’s Place is an independent apartment community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, located in Vancouver, WA (7 minutes from Portland, OR).

If you have a loved one with developmental or intellectual disabilities, who is looking for a community to live in, please contact us for more information. 

Stephen’s Place is a private-pay apartment community due to our state-of-the-art amenities and programs. We are a nonprofit and do not profit from our community. We are private pay because we spend more than some housing communities to ensure that our residents are comfortable and can safely live their lives with independence and dignity.