In the spirit of trying something new, though, I thought maybe those little guys needed a place to live.
I present...Leprechaun Cottages.
I was really excited to incorporate some Lucky Charms cereal into the cookie design, but it turns out, they aren't the same Lucky Charms I had at age 12. (My friend Kelly's mom bought "sugar cereals" while my mom bought "Bran Buds." Sleepovers at Kelly's house are burned into my memory for sugar cereal breakfasts and listening to K-Tel records. They also had HBO(!!!). But, I digress...)
No more are there "yellow moons, green clovers, blue diamonds." There's now an hourglass...and a red balloon (which makes me think of 99 Luftballons, not leprechauns.)
So, the rainbow marshmallows became the door knockers for the leprechaun cottages.
Leprechaun cottage cookies are easy to make. Here's how:
- sugar cookies , house-shaped
- royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green (2 shades) and Bright White
- disposable icing bags
- coupler and tips: #3, #2, #1
- squeeze bottles
- toothpicks
- rainbow marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal
Outline the cottages, dividing off the roof, door, window and chimney in the darker green icing using a #3 tip.
Reserving some of the white and darker green outlining consistency piping first, thin the icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. 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.
Use a #2 tip to pipe the detail on the window with white icing.
Use a #1 tip to add shamrock detail under the window in green icing. Add a bit of icing to the back of the marshmallow and place onto the cottage door.
Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.
You know what? The Chocolate Lucky Charms cereal I bought to fish out these marshmallows is pretty darn good. Sorry, Mom! ;)
