I'm Dreaming of a Leopard Print Christmas

My favorite neutral? Leopard. OK, so maybe you wouldn't want to wear them all at once, but I think every girl needs a leopard print belt, scarf, sweater, headband, clutch, top, and of course, a pair (or three) of leopard print shoes. 

Well, obviously, we need leopard print Christmas cookies! 

[Side note: I have this leopard clutch and this leopard travel bag, both from Amazon, and I love them.]

I made these cookies last year for a leopard-loving friend, but it was close to Christmas, and I never got a tutorial or the cookie set up on the blog. I'm so happy to share them now, along with a tutorial on how to make the leopard print pattern with royal icing. 

Oh, they also look really cute in a set with some reindeer ugly Christmas sweater cookies!

How to Make Leopard Print Decorated Christmas Cookies

Making a leopard print icing is actually so, so easy! You cannot mess it up! Just like making dots on cookies, remember these polka-dot Scottie cookies, you'll use what's called a wet-on-wet technique.

While I made these cookies in shades of brown, you can stay traditional or really go crazy with the leopard print colors.

• traditional: two shades of brown + black
• traditional: three shades of brown
• mix it up: three shades of blue
• mix it up: three shades of purple
• mix it up: two shades of brown and a pop of coral
• mix it up: two shades of pink + black
• mix it up: ivory base with two shades of green

You get the idea! 

To Make Leopard Print Cookies, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies (I used my perfect every time cut-out cookie recipe)
• royal icing, tinted in three shades of brown*
• piping bag 
• icing coupler and #2 tip
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

*I used AmeriColor Warm and Chocolate Brown 

Use the #2 tip to outline the cookies in the lightest color. 

Thin all three of 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.  A count of 2-3 is good. Stir in some sifted powdered sugar if you thin the icing too much. 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.

Working 6-8 cookies at a time, fill in the outlines with the thinned base icing color, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and pop large air bubbles.

Starting with the first cookie filled, use the middle shade to add squiggly shapes on top of the base icing.

Immediately, use the darkest shades to outline part of the squiggly shapes, but don't outline them completely. Also, add a few curved shapes and dots randomly onto the base icing.

Let the cookies dry uncovered overnight or for 6 to 8 hours. Once the icing is completely dry, the cookies are ready for stacking or packaging.

Now that I've made this set, I think leopard print Christmas cookies might become a tradition around here. Leopard print Christmas ornaments, leopard print trees...I think Mrs. Claus probably needs a leopard print cardigan, don't you?