A little while ago I was experimenting with sugar cookies decorated with royal icing.  I had great plans for elaborately decorated gems that people would gaze at lovingly, reluctant to destroy by taking a bite (but then, of course, taking said bite and being blown away by the soft, citrusy taste of vanilla-flecked cookie.  Obviously).

I’m a bit stubborn, some would say, and so when my first batch didn’t turn out to be the most beautiful cookies in the world (though highly edible), I was determined to try again.

Here’s what happened:

What are those brown cookies at the other end of the cooling rack?

Why of course they were hedgehogs!

The basic technique I used to flood these cookies was to add in both the blue and white royal icing at the same time in the general locations I wanted it, and then dragged a toothpick from one colour into the next to create the effects on the butterfly wings and the hearts on the teapots.  I added some sprinkles for good measure and, voila!