St. Michael the Archangel (and Cookie)...decorating tutorial

It all started with a sketch...

No, wait.  It all started with the designs from these felt dolls.  Then, the sketch.

Today, I'm going to walk you through the making of the St. Michael cookie.
(You can see all of the saint cookies here.)

The cookie shape was made by combining a candy corn shape and the wings off of an angel cookie shape (upside-down).  Place the cut-out shapes next to each other on the cookie sheet before baking and they will bake together to form one cookie. (I like to freeze the shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.)

{Don't you think this shape would make a super cute rocket, too?!?!}

To decorate the St. Michael cookies, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies, as described above
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Copper, Chocolate Brown, Super Black (also into light grey & dark grey), Egg Yellow, and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• pink food coloring pen

Use a #2 tip to outline a circle for the face in copper icing.

Reserve some of this piping consistency copper icing for adding details later.

Thin the copper icing 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 a squeeze bottles.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Use #2 tips to outline the remainder of the cookie.  Use yellow for the sleeves, dark grey for the hood, light grey for the body, and white for the wings.

Thin and flood the outlined areas as described above.  (You can see that I flooded the wings and sleeves after piping the hair outline.  Either way is ok.)

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe the hair outline in brown icing.  Reserve some of this icing for later.

Thin the brown icing as described above and flood in the hair outline.

Follow the same method for outlining and flooding the arms.  Add piped detail on the hair, wings, and sleeves.

Use a #2 tip to pipe the sword handle with brown icing.  Use another #2 tip to pipe the sword.

Use a #1 tip to pipe eyes and a mouth.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

The next day, use a pink food coloring pen to add rosy cheeks. (Warning: do not try this until the icing is COMPLETELY dry.)

The cookie looks just like the saint card in the picture, don't ya think? ;)

See all of the saints in this set here.
St. Francis and St. Cecilia cookie tutorials
St. Therese and St. Brigid cookie tutorials