Royal Icing Chrysanthemums

I have two different Wilton books that feature the chrysanthemum--and each one shows how to pipe it a completely different way: from bottom to top (in the more modern book) and from top to bottom in the old-school book. I encourage you to try both ways to see which you prefer. You'll need a piping bag fitted with a round tip #5 and filled with any color stiff consistency royal icing, a flower nail, a parchment paper square for each mum, and a Styrofoam block. Start by sticking a parchment square to the flower nail with a dab from the glue stick. You'll also need a tip #79 or #80, depending on whether you're using Ateco, Magic Tip or Wilton (this is an Ateco #80). Hold the round tip just above the parchment square and pipe a mound:

 Pipe one mound for each mum, and let them firm up for a while (15 minutes, at least).

 Switch to the fluted tip, and pipe short petals all the way around the mound.

 Continue with another row of petals; offset them from the row below (don't stack them directly on top of each other). Hold the bag at a steeper angle for this…

 …and all consecutive rows.

 For this row, the bag is almost perpendicular to the nail:

 Finally, add a few stand-up petals in the very center to finish the mum:

 Here's the mum in reverse. Start by holding the fluted tip almost in the center of the mound:

 Pipe three stand-up petals:

 Continue adding more rows around the first 3 petals, offsetting each row as you go:

 By the time you get to the base, the backside of the tip should be flat on the nail:

Not only is the mum darling in any color, it's now one of my favorite "cupcake flowers"!