Reindeer Cookies (Upside Down Gingerbread Men)

Next on the classroom gifts is Reindeer Cookies that I made for Caden and then Cole asked if I would make for his advisory class (In my day we called it home room). I found several ideas to do this but I'll give credit to the one I printed and used as my template on Simplee Thrifty. 

What you need:

Baked Cookies (I used Sugar since Ginger sometimes is a required taste)

Light Brown Royal Icing (I use Food Gel to color)

Dark Brown Royal Icing (I use Food Gel to color)

Black Royal Icing (I use Food Gel to color)

Red Hots (Red Candy or Red Royal Icing) 

Pipping Bags

Bake your gingerbread shaped men, I used a sugar cookie since when I did gingerbread this last time I noticed a lot of the kids didn't like the taste. I used my favorite Sugar Cookie recipe that I've been using for a few years now.

After my gingerbread man have cooled. I started on the Royal Icing. I've been using Julia M. Usher's Recipe for royal icing, she has the best video's also to help you! I've included the recipe at the bottom of this post also. I color mine with Gel Food Coloring. I used a dark brown but only used a few drops to make the light brown. Usually I would have 2 gels I use but I forgot to run to the store so I made do. I broke my icing into 3 balls, one large for the light brown (face), one medium for dark bark (antlers) and one small for the black (eyes and mouth). 

I started with the face. Turn your gingerbread upside down (head on the bottom). Out line with royal icing what will be the ears, head and mouth. Flood with icing to fill in, almost like a triangle with rounded edges. Before this dries add your red hot for the nose, I put mine a little low.  Let dry and come back with the dark Brown draw on your antlers (on gingerbread man's legs). Also add a little dark brown for the inside of the ears. Then take your black to make eyes and a mouth (this is were I found my nose was a little low). Let them sit overnight and your read to pass them out. 

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For Royal Icing:

Royal Icing what you need:

2 lbs Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

5 Large Egg Whites (or equivalent) 

Flavor to Taste

Gel Icing Color

Mix powder sugar and cream of tartar in your mixer, just to make sure it is incorporated in. Slowly add egg whites, then whip start of slow then go to very high speed. She says around 2 minutes, my friend had an older mixer so it took almost 10 minutes. You want stiff peaks that hold on and won't fall off the spoon. Add in your flavor, I would suggest you use a clear flavoring.  This would be the glue texture great for ginger bread houses etc.

Take 1 cup of royal icing in a smaller bowl then add your coloring, lightly mix so you don't get air into the the icing. I'm like her and like the gel coloring. 

For Top Coating - Add 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tsp Water (This is if you don't want to outline and flood)

For Outlining - Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp Water

For Flooding  - Add 2 to 3 tsp Water

WATCH her video on How to Top-Coat, Outline, and Flood Cookies. YES it is around 7 minutes BUT if you have never done this technique it's a MUST she explains it perfectly.