Easy, Quick, Drop Flowers!!!

These drop flowers are sooo easy to make. Your kids can make them with you! They look adorable on cupcakes, scattered here and there on cakes, on brownies and any other favorite dessert. Kids love the taste and adults love the look :)

All you need is:

• Royal Icing
• #3 Tip
• #224 Tip
• Pastry Bags
• Couplers (the white insert and ring you use to easily change tips and keep tips secure)
• Waxed Paper
• Tape

***all items can be found at Wal-mart. I am a big fan of Wal-mart because it is inexpensive and has everything in one store***

How to make Royal Icing:

You Need

• 1 LB (4 Cups) Powdered Sugar
• 3 TBS Meringue Powder (Wal-mart/Jo-Anns/Michael's/Local Cake Decorator Supply Shop)
• 6 TBS Warm Water

Mix all ingredients with a whisk (not by hand, use an electric mixer or hand held electric mixer) for 7 minutes on high speed. Icing should be fluffy like marshmallow cream. Add icing coloring (it's best to use a gel coloring and not food coloring).

How to Make Icing Flowers

Step 1: Tape waxed paper onto a flat surface

Step 2: Fill bags with icing (watch How to Frost a Cupcake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx7aMdOf61s for tips on preparing your bag) or just insert coupler in pastry bag, cut off the tip(all the way to top of coupler), place tip #224 over coupler and bag and screw on ring to secure)

Step 3: Touching waxed paper and holding the bag at a 90 degree angle, gently squeeze out frosting

Step 4: After squeezing out a small amount and while you are still squeezing the bag, slowly twist your wrist. This will cause a flower effect to be created. Stop squeezing and lift straight up. It doesn't matter which way you twist, just make sure that the tip is always touching the waxed paper and at a 90 degree angle.
Your flower should look something like this, if not keep practicing and remember to turn slowly, stop and lift up straight.
Step 5: With a filled bag, place the #3 Tip on. With the same 90 degree angle, gently squeeze icing in the center of flower, stop squeezing and lift straight up.

***Variation***

Try not twisting and just squeeze out icing with the #224 tip, stop and lift straight up for a star flower look.
Fill the center with the #3 tip, stop squeezing and lift straight up! Voila! Done!!!
Let dry for 20 minutes to 1 hour and gently pull off waxed paper. Store in a sealed, air-tight container. They will keep for a very long time...if you can hide them from your kids :) Place on your desserts when ever the mood strikes! To make sure they are secure on a cake, brownie or other, dab a little butter cream frosting and "glue" on to dessert!