Royal Icing Decorative Gourds

This might be the first of a number of decorative gourd recreations; they're easy, cute, there's a million varieties of them (well, at least dozens), and they'd look great in a cornucopia of other symbols of the season on a cake (or even a pie!). All you'll need to pipe the yellow, bumpy variety of decorative gourd is stiff consistency royal icing, round tips #12 and #2, a flower nail, a Styrofoam block to rest the nail in, parchment paper squares, a glue stick, and a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of powdered sugar and cornstarch. Start by sticking a parchment square to the flower nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

 Hold the #12 tip at a 45 degree angle to and just above the surface. Squeeze hard to pipe a ball, then decrease pressure and move the tip along for a few millimeters before stopping pressure and pulling the tip away. If a peak remains, touch a fingertip to the dusting pouch and tap it down. Allow the icing to dry for a few minutes.

 Switch to the #2 tip and pipe a scattering of dots, single and in clusters. Tap down any peaks with a dusted fingertip. If you happen to know the proper name for this particular gourd, please send me a message because I couldn't figure it out!

Royal Icing Acorns

I’m a big fan of all things to do with the forest; some of the first things I figured out how to pipe with royal icing were pine cones and pine needles. Recently I piped a mouse and before I started adding features to it all I could think of when I looked at the body was how much it looked like an acorn. So, today I tried to pipe an acorn on purpose. All that’s needed to pipe acorns are a bag of green royal icing with a round #12 tip, brown icing with a round #3 tip, a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of cornstarch and powdered sugar, a flower nail, a glue stick, parchment paper squares, and a Styrofoam block to rest the nail in. 

Start by piping a short, squatty teardrop on a parchment square with the green icing (you could use brown, too). Hold the tip at a 45 degree angle, squeeze until you build up a ball, then pull away while decreasing and stopping pressure. Touch your fingertips to the dusting pouch then pinch the tip to neaten it up if need be. 

 Allow this part to firm up for a while (you can speed up the process by placing it under a desk lamp). Dab the glue stick to the flower nail, then stick the parchment square to it (being careful not to squish or otherwise disturb the icing).

 Pipe a cluster of #3 dots, then flatten them slightly with a dusted fingertip, to form the cap.

 Pipe a short stem, also with the #3 tip. Hold the tip against the acorn's cap, and squeeze while pulling away for a few millimeters. Stop the pressure and pull the tip away. If the end of the stem has an unsightly peak, tap it flat with your fingertip.

 Acorns are a perennial favorite in fall decorating, which is upon us if the massive autumnal floral display at Michael's is any indication (of course it's only June at the time I'm writing this). Take a tip from the hoarding habits of the squirrels and start piping acorns NOW; you'll be ready for all the fall and forest-themed cakes you might get called upon to decorate!