Magically Delicious!

These leprechaun cookies are made from a cupcake...cookie cutter. 
See?  Magical!

All I did was flip the cutter upside-down, and trim off the cherry detail with a paring knife once cut out.

I was trying to channel my inner Callye...the queen of creative cookie cutter use.  I remembered she wrote a leprechaun post a couple of years ago using all different shapes.  Guess what?  She used a cupcake as one of her shapes, too.  Maybe I wasn't so original after all. ;)

If you think you don't have time to make these before Sunday, you are wrong, wrong, wrong!  They're really a simple cookie to make...that beard may look fancy, but it couldn't be easier.

To make these decorated leprechaun cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies cut with a cupcake cookie cutter and trimmed, if needed
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green, Copper, Super Black, Orange, Egg Yellow & Super Red
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips: #2, #1, #4 & large star (I used a PME #8)
• squeeze bottles 
• toothpicks
• food coloring pens

Use a #2 tip to outline the hat and face.

Thin the green and copper icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the green icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add the details:

• #4 tip for trim on the hat
• #2 tip for hat buckle
• #1 tip for hair curl
• #2 tip for eyes & hat outline
• #1 tip for smile

Now, add the beard.  First, be sure your icing is stiff enough to hold the ridges of the star tip.  Don't be afraid to test this on a plate...and test different tips to see which you like the best.  If your icing has lost its stiffness, follow these instructions to revive it.

Pipe the beard using a pulsing motion.  I started at the left side, came around the bottom, then started back on the right side and piped down to meet where I stopped.

Let the cookies dry uncovered overnight.

The next day, use food coloring pens to add cheeks and freckles.  Leprechauns have freckles, right?

There you have it...lucky little leprechauns. They're magically delicious!