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There's a little bit of a learning curve to stacking the layers of puff pastry so the 'tail feathers' come together, so you may want an extra sheet or two of puff pastry on hand to play with. No matter how your gobblers look, the results are delicious! You can make them ahead 3 - 4 days in advance before serving, storing them in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted Martha Stewart Living
Makes About 12
Ingredients
1 box frozen puff pastry, (2 sheets) thawed (I used Pepperidge Farm)
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Turkey Face Supplies
Strawberry twizzlers or red licorice
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Wilton edible candy eyes
Orange candy-coated sunflower seeds
Food safe brush (Wilton)
Directions:
Thaw puff pastry according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of mixture on work surface. Unfold 1 sheet pastry over sugar mixture; sprinkle with 2 more tablespoons of sugar mixture. Roll pastry out to approximately 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut a 3-inch strip from short end.
Fold long ends of larger rectangle inward to meet in center. Then fold in half so short ends meet.
Fold reserved strip of dough in half so short ends meet; place on bottom half of larger piece, with folds facing same direction. Fold top half over smaller piece of dough to cover. Gently roll over dough to seal. Freeze until firm but still pliable, 30 minutes.
Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.
Slice into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Dip cut sides in remaining sugar mixture. Transfer to parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, with cut sides up, about 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake 10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake another 8 - 10 minutes or until golden.
Let cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula. Let cool completely before decorating.
To assemble the turkey faces
With kitchen shears, cut licorice into small wattle shaped pieces.
In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 – 3 teaspoons of water, until you have the right consistency to make a “glue” to apply the candy features to turkeys. Position features of turkey, then using a food safe brush, apply sugar mixture to back of the candy to "glue" to turkey. Allow to set, approximately 30 minutes.
Store in airtight container until ready to serve.
Notes:
If puff pastry becomes to warm while working with it, return to refrigerator or freezer briefly.
If turkey feathers separate and spread too much during first half of baking, press on sides to close with spatula or fingers to help reshape them. Return to oven and finish baking.
You will have some cinnamon/sugar mixture leftover. Sprinkle tops of gobblers with additional sugar mixture if desired before baking.