How to Decorate a Football Sugar Cookie

Directions

• 1

  Bake and cool cookies before decorating. Get Ann Clark's no-fail sugar cookie recipe here. Or, make a more hearty cookie using our Cowboy Cookie recipe. Make sure cookies are fully cooled. If they are warm, the icing will run off of them. Make royal icing. Learn how to mix different consistencies of royal icing here>>
  
  Prepare the following icing colors:
  
  Piping Consistency:
  Brown
  White
  
  Flood Consistency:
  Brown

  
• 2Using brown piping consistency icing, outline the entire football shape as shown.
  
• 3With the same brown piping consistency icing, pipe a slightly curved line starting at the left point of the football and connecting to the right point of the football.
  
• 4Use brown flood consistency icing to flood the bottom half of the football. Use a scribe tool or toothpick to ensure the icing covers the whole space, and to pop any air bubbles. Let this section dry for 20-30 minutes, or until the icing is just developing a crust. Placing the cookies under or next to a fan will speed the drying process. Waiting until this section is dry will ensure that each section of the football will be outlined, and the icing on the top and bottom will not bleed into each other.
  
• 5Once the bottom section has crusted over, fill the top section with brown flood consistency icing, using a scribe tool to ensure full coverage and to eliminate any air bubbles. Let the two flooded sections dry for about 60 minutes, or until the icing is crusted over. Placing the cookies under or next to a fan will speed this process.
  
• 6Once the brown icing has crusted over, use white piping consistency icing to pipe a line on top of the football. This is where the laces will be. Pro Tip: When piping lines of piping consistency icing, it's important to position your hand slightly above the surface where you'll be starting your line, push out the icing and then let guide the icing where you want to start your line. Don't attempt to start your line with your tip touching the cookie. Apply even pressure and continue to guide the icing to lay where you'd like it to go. When you reach the end of your line, release the pressure and gently lay the end of the line down. This will create an even line without "bubbles" at the beginning or end.
  
• 7Using white piping consistency icing, pipe 5-6 smaller lines perpendicular to the first line you piped, creating the football laces.
  
• 8

  Smooth out the lacing with your scribe tool or toothpick, guiding the icing where it needs to go.