Sea Urchins in Royal Icing

Here's another companion for the previously posted cockle shells and harp snail shells: a sea urchin in royal icing. All you need is a pastry bag filled with medium consistency royal icing (the icing I had on hand was relatively thin; I'm definitely going to re-do these urchins when I make another batch), a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch, round tips #12 and #2, a parchment paper square for each urchin, round tooth picks, a flower nail (optional; I like using flower nails for almost everything), a glue stick, and Wilton Pearl Dust (if you'd like your urchins to be shimmery; and who wouldn't?!). Start by sticking a parchment square to the flower nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

Hold the #12 tip just above and parallel to the surface, and squeeze out a ball about half an inch across. Stop pressure, pull the tip straight up and away, and if a peak forms, tap it down with a fingertip you've touched to the dusting pouch. 

Tap a toothpick against the dusting pouch, then lie it against the ball several equally-spaced times, radiating outward from the center. 

In the center, use the tip of the toothpick to make a hole. If you really want to know what that hole is, go here. Bon appetit!  

 Sprinkle the urchins with pearl dust, after they've dried enough to form a skin.

 Switch tips to the round #2. Squeeze rows of tiny little dots from the outer edge to the center (you can follow the grooves you made earlier or leave them visible).

 Here's the finished urchin. You could take all sorts of artistic license in the colors you use, of course.