Leprechaun Hat Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Roll dough into 24 (1-inch) balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place 2 inches apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately place 1 marshmallow on each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until frosting becomes a thick spoonable glaze. If frosting is too thick, stir in additional warm water, a small amount at a time. Stir in food color, adding more if needed to achieve desired color. Spoon warm frosting over each cookie, coating completely and allowing excess frosting to drip off. Let stand 20 minutes to set.
• Roll chocolate candies into ropes. Flatten with rolling pin into 1/8-inch-thick ribbons. Cut into strips with scissors to look like hat bands; arrange around base of marshmallow on each cookie. Cut gumdrops crosswise in half (reshaping as needed). Press cut side onto hand band. Lift cookies onto serving platter with pancake turner, leaving excess frosting behind. Store in airtight container.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. For leprechauns, cut out dough with lightly floured 5-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter. If desired, trim leprechaun's body for a thinner shape. , For each hat, cut a 1-1/4-in. square and a 1-3/4x1/4-in. brim from dough scraps. Place leprechauns 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Place hat squares and brims above heads, shaping gently to touch the heads., Bake 10-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely., Tint small amounts of Royal Icing pink, skin tone and black. Leave a small amount plain (white). Tint remaining icing Kelly green, leaf green green and orange. Frost leprechauns; if desired, decorate using shamrock sprinkles on hat and gold sprinkles as buttons, use edible marker to draw freckles.

Steps:

• Beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add confectioners' sugar and milk; mix until smooth, adding more milk as needed to create a silky buttercream.
• Pinch off about 1 tablespoon marzipan and knead in some black food coloring until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside. Knead green food coloring into remaining marzipan. Divide green marzipan into two pieces.
• Working with one piece at a time (and keeping remainder covered with plastic), transfer to a surface dusted lightly with confectioners' sugar. Roll into a very thin circle (a scant 1/8 inch). Use a 5-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Transfer marzipan circles to a baking sheet dusted with confectioners' sugar; use a pastry brush to brush away any excess sugar.
• Cover with plastic while you roll out and cut remaining green marzipan. Roll out black marzipan in the same way. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut into approximately 5-by-1/2-inch strips; keep covered with plastic.
• Trim tops of cupcakes with a serrated knife if they're domed. Spread a small amount of buttercream onto surface of a wafer cookie. Flip a cupcake upside down and place in center of cookie. Spread top and sides of cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream, then drape a piece of green marzipan over top, pressing onto cupcake to adhere.
• Wrap a strip of black marzipan around brim of hat, pressing at seam to secure. Create a buckle by pressing 4 jimmies into a square on black marzipan band. Repeat with remaining cupcakes, wafer cookies, buttercream, marzipan, and jimmies. Decorate with shamrock sprinkles.