Royal Icing Shamrocks

In my ongoing quest to pipe something symbolic of the Olympics or the United Kingdom every night of the games, tonight Northern Ireland gets its nod with a shamrock (can you believe I didn't pipe these back on St. Patrick's Day? I was really into gum paste then). All you need to pipe shamrocks are green stiff consistency royal icing, a flower nail, parchment paper squares, a glue stick, round tip #3 or #4, petal tip #104 (or #101 if you want to make smaller shamrocks), a Styrofoam block to rest the nail in, and a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch. Start by sticking a parchment square to the nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

 Hold the petal tip almost flat against the surface with the wide end in the middle. Pipe the first of three heart-shaped leaves. Increase pressure when forming the two rounded outer edges of the heart. The wide end of the tip should move no more than about a quarter of an inch from the center toward the edge and then back to its starting place in the center while you're piping the leaf.

 Here's a side view…

 …and a view from the other side. Keep the outer, narrow edge of the tip just above the surface to give it that 3-dimensional quality.

 Tuck the tip under and alongside the first leaf and pipe the second leaf…

…and then the third. Touch a fingertip to the dusting pouch and use it to neaten up any edges that don't look right. 

 

Here's another side view. 

 Switch to a small round tip (#3 or #4) and pipe a short, curved stem. Allow your shamrocks to firm up, then peel away the parchment. File this idea away for St. Patrick's Day, for sure!