LOVEBUG COOKIES

Lovebug Cookies image

For a guide to decorating your cookies, download this Lovebug Cookie template.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes one cookie

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

Royal Icing for Lovebug and One-Piece Cookies
Black or brown gel paste food coloring
3 1/2-inch lady bug-shaped Chocolate Cookie Cutouts
2 large silver dragees
Black or brown sanding sugar
Bright red or bright pink gel paste food coloring
White dragees or white fruit imperial candies
Small red or pink heart shaped candies

Steps:

Mix together 1/2 cup royal icing with the black or brown food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create the head of the ladybug, outline the area with black or brown icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add silver dragees to create eyes. Sprinkle head with black or brown sanding sugar. Let dry.
Mix together 1 cup royal icing with the red or pink food coloring until desired shade is reached. Set aside 1/4 cup red or pink icing and transfer remaining red or pink icing to a small squirt bottle. To create body, outline the area with red or pink icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick or offset spatula to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add white dragees to create spots. Let dry.
To create black or brown spots on cookie, squeeze two 1/2-inch dots of black or brown icing about 1/2-inch apart from one another in the center of the body (see template). If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add a heart candy to each spot. To create remaining black or brown spots on cookie, squeeze dots of black or brown icing about the same size as the white dragees over body (see template). If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Let dry.
Add more red or pink food coloring to reserved 1/4 cup red or pink icing to create a darker shade of red or pink. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Using dark red or pink icing, make an outline around the body of the ladybug and down the center (see template). Let dry.