Owl Cupcake Toppers
Ingredients
Royal Icing - Makes 5 Cups
- ½ cup meringue powder
- 1 cup cold water
- 2 lbs confectioners sugar
Cookies & Decorating
- owl-shaped cookies, baked & cooled (Dani is using gingerbread cookies)
- royal icing using a variety of food colorings
- jumbo candy confetti for eyes
- sliced gumdrops for beak
- button candy for eyeballs
- candy hearts
- orange candy dragées for feet
Special Equipment
- hand mixer to make royal icing
- parchment paper for work surface
- squeeze bottles for royal icing
- toothpicks used as holders & for spreading icing
- tweezers
How-to
Make Royal Icing
- Using a hand mixer, beat together meringue powder and water to a smooth texture, removing air bubbles, and swirling the mixer to get at the edges of the bowl
- Beat in confectioners sugar until combined. Brush down sides and bottom of bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated and icing has a ribbon-like consistency
- Transfer to containers and add food coloring as desired. If not using immediately, store tightly covered at room temperature. Icing will last a couple of weeks until it starts to dry out. Re-mix briefly when ready to use. (If the icing is too thick, add water, about 1 tbsp at a time, and beat until the water is thoroughly combined. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners sugar)
Decorate Cookies
- Prepare your favorite cookie recipe and cut out owl shapes. Just before baking, insert a skewer into the bottom of each cookie. Bake and let cookies cool completely before decorating
- Once cookies have cooled, outline with royal icing (in whatever colors you like!)
- Zigzag within the outline with royal icing and use a toothpick to smooth it out
- Decorate (except for button candy eyeballs) and let sit from 1-5 hours undisturbed
- Dot each eye with royal icing and add the button candy eyeballs
- Let sit 1 more hour and then use to sit atop your cupcakes!