Garden Gnome Cookies

To celebrate spring, I wanted to make some spring-y cookies. I knew I wanted to save the bunnies and chickies for Easter, so what to do? I have a new dragonfly cutter that I've been dying to try, but ultimately I couldn't resist trying out the garden gnome cutter I ordered a few weeks ago. You know you picked a good one when you find yourself smiling and practically giggling while you decorate! These were really fun.

I started with a little sketch - making an outline of the shape and figuring out where the colors would go.

These cookies were time consuming, not so much because of the decorating, but just because of all the different colors. Each color means a new bag, new tip, new bowl, etc. I used seven colors in all, including three shades of brown. (My gnomes are multicultural, lol).

The beards were the most fun. I piped them separately so they would have texture. I used an edible food marker for the eyes. This was the first time I've used one, and I did like it. Two poor gnomes lost legs in the process of drawing on the eyes. Poor gnomes. I mourned for them by eating them. I figured they would want it that way.

The result, delightfully creepy spring gnomes…

I think next time, I will make the boots black, and give the gnomes just a tunic instead of pants and shirt.  I also think I would add a thick black belt. 

Just for fun before I move on to Easter cookies, here are the shamrocks I made for St. Patrick's Day...