Cookies for a 2nd Birthday

 
Aren't second birthdays sweet? They can hold up 2 fingers when you ask how old they are and say, "this many."  They really haven't gotten into the terrible twos yet...and they still NAP!

(Mine is 11, so that's how I'm choosing to remember it. When he's 30, I'll be waxing nostalgic about his teenage years.)
These cookies incorporate two of my favorite cookie decorating tricks...dots and a #16 tip.

Here's what you need to make them:
  • tiered cake cookies
  • royal icing tinted with Americolor Gel Pastefood coloring in turquoise, egg yellow, super red and regal purple
  • #3 plain tip
  • #2 plain tip
  • #16 star tip
  • disposable icing bags fitted with couplers
  • squeeze bottles
  • toothpicks
Once the cookies are cooled, pipe a border in turquoise royal icing using a #3 tip.  Let dry 15-30 minutes.

Reserve some piping consistency icing in turquoise and red.  Thin the remaining icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir the icings gently to pop and air bubbles that have risen to the surface.  Transfer thinned icing to squeeze bottles.

Working 6-8 cookies at a time, flood the cookies withe the yellow icing.  Use a toothpick to guide along edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Starting with the first cookie flooded, drop dots in the other colors onto the wet yellow icing.

{This is what happens when you get distracted.}

Let dry for at least one hour.

Using a #2 tip and reserved red icing, pipe a number 2 on the top of each cake.

Change the tip on the bag of turquoise icing to a #16. Using a pulsing motion, pipe the detail on the cookies.

Let dry overnight.
 
 









I'll be linking this post to my friend Cheryl's I'm Lovin' It linky party!