Royal Icing Alpine Forget-Me-Nots

Alpine forget-me-nots are particularly noteworthy because 1) they're one of the only true blue flowers found in nature, and 2) they're the state flower of Alaska. All you need to pipe them is blue and yellow stiff consistency royal icing, petal tip #101, round tip #2, parchment paper squares, a glue stick, a flower nail (you'll be piping five petals so you might want to stick a template on the nail to keep them even), a Styrofoam brick to rest the nail in, and a dusting pouch filled with a 50/50 blend of powdered sugar and cornstarch. Start by sticking a parchment square to the nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

 Pipe the first petal with the #101 tip. Hold the tip almost flat against the surface with the wide side in the center and the narrow side facing outward. Move the tip in an upside-down "U" formation as you pipe; allow the icing to go just outside of the first circle on the template (the forget-me-not is on the small side).

 Repeat for a total of five petals.

 Allow the petals to firm up for a few minutes, then pipe a ring of yellow dots with the #2 tip in the middle.

 Flatten the dots slightly with a fingertip after touching it to the dusting pouch. Use clusters of Alpine forget-me-nots to decorate any Alaska-themed dessert (even a baked Alaska!) or treats for a shower for a baby boy.

Forget-Me-Nots in Royal Icing

Forget-me-nots are the perfect flower to pipe if you don't have much icing to work with; each one is about the size of a dime. You can pipe them in royal icing, and after they've dried, use them to decorate small desserts; in this case, store-bought meringues. Here's what you'll need…

…a parchment paper square for each forget-me-not, a Styrofoam block, a flower nail, a glue stick, yellow royal icing in a bag fitted with a #2 round tip, green icing in a bag fitted with a small #65 leaf tip, and colors like white, pale pink and pale blue (if you want to be botanically accurate for the petals) in bags fitted with #101 petal tips (or #101s, if you really want them to be tiny). Start by sticking a parchment square to the flower nail with a dab from the glue stick. 

Pipe the first petal. Hold the petal tip almost flat against the surface with the wide side of the tip at the center. Squeeze steadily while moving the tip in a narrow, upside down "U" motion. Wipe the tip clean between petals, if necessary.

 Pipe four more petals, slightly overlapping, for a total of five.

 Pipe a center dot with the yellow icing.

 Allow the forget-me-nots to dry (you can speed up the process by placing them under a desk lamp).

 One way to decorate with them is to pipe a few small leaves…

 …and then stick the flower into the leaves while they're still wet. The forget-me-not's scientific name Myosotis comes from the Greek words for "mouse's ear," which is in reference to the leaf. Bear that in mind as you're piping the leaves for guidance in their shape.