Preparation

• 1 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• 2 Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• 3 Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
• 4 On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. For leprechauns, cut out dough with lightly floured 5-inch gingerbread boy cookie cutter. If desired, trim leprechaun's body for a thinner shape.
• 5 For each hat, cut a 1-1/2-inch square and a 1-3/4-inch x 1/4-inch brim from dough scraps. Place leprechauns 2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Place hat squares and brims above heads, shaping gently to touch the heads.
• 6 Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely.
• 7 Tint small amounts of Royal Icing red, yellow and black. Leave a small amount plain. Tint remaining icing green and orange. Frost leprechauns; decorate with shimmer dust and shamrock sprinkles if desired. For eyes, attach miniature chocolate chips with plain frosting.
• 8 ROYAL ICING:In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
• 9 Tint with food coloring if desired. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.
• 10 To decorate, place icing in a pastry bag. For border decorations and dots, use #3 round pastry tip. For small detailed decorations, use #1 or #2 round pastry tip.
• 11 EDITOR'S NOTE:Use of a coupler ring will allow you to easily change pastry tips for different designs.