How to prepare
1. Prepare your favourite sugar cookie or gingerbread people and let them cool.
2. While the people are cooling go ahead and prepare a batch of royal icing using Redpath Icing Sugar.
3. Once the royal icing is prepared, set aside 2 bowls with 1/4 cup of royal icing in each bowl.
4. Colour one of the small bowls with black colouring. This will be used to for the eye centers. Cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming.
5. In the other small bowl add in a spooky Halloween colour for the eyes. Might we suggest a ghoulish green or pumpkin orange. Cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming.
6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a coupler and small round tip with the plain white royal icing.
7. Begin outlining a cookie with the white. Once the outline is complete, begin flooding the center of the cookie, until the entire cookie is filled with white icing.
8. Give the cookie a little shake to even out the icing. Set the cookie aside and repeat with the remaining cookies, working one at a time for a smooth even coating.
9. Allow the first layer to dry for approximately 20 minutes, until the surface is dry to the touch.
10. Replace the tip on your piping bag with a small flat tip. Begin pipping icing across the cookies, as if you were laying ribbons across the body. Lay a few of these ribbons for the first layer.
11. Once the first layer of ribbons has rested, begin laying more ribbons across the body. Let the first layer of ribbons rest for 20 minutes. This will allow the second set of ribbons to build a new layer that doesn't melt into the first layer, giving you a great 3D look.
12. Once all the ribbons have been laid allow the cookies to rest for 20 minutes, so that the icing sets.
13. Fill 2 separate piping bags, both fitted with a small round tip, with the coloured icing in one bag and the black icing in the other.
14. Place 2 coloured dots on the face area of the cookies as eyes. Then while the icing is still wet place a small dot of black in each coloured eye.
15. Once all the cookies have eyes, allow them to rest for at least 1 hour to fully set the royal icing.
Sugar Cookies
How to prepare:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
5. Divide dough into quarters, form each quarter into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6-8 mm) thick.
8. Cut into shapes with a gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake 10 - 12 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Royal Icing
How to prepare:
1. In a bowl whisk together egg whites and cream of tartar for 30 seconds. OR if using meringue powder, whisk together meringue powder and warm water together for 30 seconds, then whisk in the cream of tartar for another 30 seconds.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using hand-held electric beaters, mix your icing sugar with the egg white or meringue powder mixture on low speed for roughly ten minutes.
3. Test to see if the icing is ready for decorating by pulling a knife through the icing. Count how long it takes for the icing to collapse. It should fall in 10 seconds. If your icing is too thick add water; if it is too runny add more icing sugar.
