Royal Icing Cowboy Hat

Tonight's tribute to Wyoming, "The Cowboy State," isn't a 10-gallon hat; it's more of a 2-milliliter hat. You can pipe them in any color; yellow is all I had on hand, which is perhaps more Curious George than cowboy. Anyway, all you'll need to pipe teeny-tiny hats is stiff consistency royal icing, petal tip #104, round tip #12, a glue stick, parchment paper squares, a flower nail, a Styrofoam block to rest the nail in, and a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 mix of cornstarch and powdered sugar. Start by sticking a parchment square to the nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

 Pipe an oval with the petal tip (I LOVE finding uses for petal tips that don't involve flowers!). Keep the narrow end facing out and up, while keeping the wide end against the surface and in the middle. When the ends meet, stop pressure and pull the tip away.

 Generously dust your fingertips by touching them to the dusting pouch. Gently tap the part where the two ends meet to blend them together. Also tap the end opposite down. Gently taper both ends, and roll the sides up. Basically, imagine the shape of a Pringle and approximate it.

 Switch to the #12 tip and pipe a "sausage" of icing down the middle, allowing plenty of the brim to show at the front and back.

 Use your dusted fingertips to coax the front of the crown into that iconic wedge.

 You can leave it as is, or dust a round toothpick and lay it along the middle to form a crease. These are sure to be appreciated when served on cupcakes to cowboys (and cowgirls) of all ages.