One day toward the end of July, my daughter looked at me and said, “I can’t wait for Halloween.” I was in complete agreement. Is three months too long to count down? My daughter is nearly 25, long past the days of dressing up and trick-or-treating. But we still get together to dress up our dog, hand out candy, and carve pumpkins. Carving pumpkins is a treasured family tradition, one that’s remained largely unchanged since my children were little. I imagine years from now when even my kids have gray hair, we’ll still be huddled around a table, elbow-deep in pumpkin guts. For now, carving these royal icing jack-o’-lanterns will tide me over until the official celebrations begin.
Supplies:
- Royal icing (I used AmeriColor gel paste coloring to tint the icing):
- Extra stiff-consistency* orange (Pumpkin)
- Stiff-consistency dark brown (Espresso)
- Toothpaste-consistency black (Super Black)
- Tips:
- Molds:
- Sculpting tool with flat triangular head (or equivalent)
- Craft knife
- Small food-safe file
- Paint brushes:
- Medium flat paint brush
- Small paint brush
- Tiny liner paint brush
- AmeriColor (or equivalent) gel paste colorings for painting: Super Black, Bright White, Egg Yellow, Ivory, Pumpkin, Warm Brown, Gold, Espresso
- Parchment paper
- Dark cookie crumbs (I mixed 3 parts Oreo Thins with 1 part gingerbread)
- Spider Legs Template (located in “Files” in “Attachments” at the end of this post)
- Kitchen shears
- Wafer paper
- Small trowel or offset spatula
- 2 x 3-in (5.1 x 7.6-cm) cookie cutter (or equivalent), for propping
- Small square of stiff cardstock (or equivalent)
- 1-in (2.5-cm) maple leaf craft punch
- 3 peanut butter cups (or equivalent)
*For extra stiff-consistency icing, add powdered sugar to your regular stiff-consistency icing until it is just barely tacky. The icing will be slightly grainy. Extra stiff-consistency icing will be easier to manipulate without risk of it sticking to tools.
Step 1: Pipe and carve jack-o’-lantern hemispheres
a. Using extra-stiff consistency orange royal icing and a Wilton #12 tip (or equivalent), pipe a vertical line of icing over the center of a 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold (i). Use your finger (or the flat side of a sculpting or fondant tool) to gently flatten the icing and taper the ends (ii). If desired, use the blade edge of a sculpting or fondant tool to imprint a subtle crease at the top and/or bottom ends of the icing for additional texture (iii). Repeat, piping and shaping adjacent sections of the pumpkin until the mold is covered (iv). Make sure to pipe the sections very close together so they connect when you flatten them.
b. As soon as you’re done piping and shaping the pumpkin, use a craft knife to cut a face into the icing. Cut with a vertical stabbing motion rather than a horizontal dragging motion so as not to deform the icing. Use the tip of the knife to scoop out some of the icing from the cut sections. The interior icing will be wet and difficult to remove cleanly, so the face will be somewhat jagged and messy at this point.
c. The exposed interior of the cut sections will begin to set as you are working, making the icing easier to manipulate. Use the tip of a triangular sculpting tool (or equivalent) to scoop out more of the cut icing. Gently press the flat side of the triangular head against the sides of the cavities to compact the remaining bits of icing and to refine the shape of the facial features. Allow the icing to dry completely (in my arid climate, drying took two days).
d. Repeat Step 1a to create the back of the pumpkin. Allow the icing to dry completely.
e. Use the same process to create jack-o’-lanterns of different sizes and shapes. For instance, repeat Steps 1a through 1d using a 1 7/8-inch (4.8-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold to create a larger round jack-o'-lantern.
f. Repeat Steps 1a through 1d using a 2 3/8-inch (6-centimeter) silicone egg mold to create a tall, narrow jack-o’-lantern (i). For the back of the pumpkin, leave about 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) of the mold uncovered on all sides (ii). Leaving this space will create a more natural shape when the two halves are attached in a later step.
Step 2: Assemble jack-o’-lanterns
a. Use the tip of a sculpting tool (or equivalent) to depress the mold within the facial features so that the silicone detaches from the icing (i). Flip the mold over, and gently pull at the edges of the mold to help it release from the interior of the pumpkin (ii). Repeat to remove all of the pumpkin transfers from their molds. Be sure the icing is completely dry before attempting this step, or the transfers will not release easily and may break.
b. If necessary, use a small food-safe file to smooth the inside edges of the jack-o’-lanterns’ facial features.
c. Optionally, use extra stiff-consistency orange royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent) to refine the facial features. Pipe a line of icing along the edge of a facial feature. Use the flat side of a paint brush to smooth the edge of the line farthest from the cavity into the dried icing of the pumpkin. You can use this technique to make the teeth more square or sharp. I also piped icing along the top lip of the tall pumpkin to make the mouth more pouty (i and ii). And I piped icing around the top of the eyes to exaggerate the jack-o’-lanterns’ expressions (iii and iv).
d. Using a medium flat paint brush, paint the insides of the pumpkin backs with undiluted Super Black gel paste coloring (or equivalent). Painting with a dark color will lend more contrast between the insides and outsides, making it easier to see the carved faces.
e. Using extra stiff-consistency orange royal icing and a Wilton #12 tip (or equivalent), pipe a line of icing along both sides of the back of a pumpkin. Place the corresponding pumpkin face on top of the icing, and press down gently to adhere the two halves and to fill the gap along the sides. (A small gap will likely remain at the top of the pumpkin; it will be filled in the next step.) The added line of icing should look just like another segment of the pumpkin. If necessary, use a damp flat paint brush (or equivalent) to shape the icing so that the jack-o’-lantern looks like a single piece. Repeat to assemble the other two jack-o’-lanterns.
f. Using the same icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent), pipe icing to fill the hole(s) at the top of the pumpkin (i). Use a damp flat paint brush to smooth and shape the icing so that it looks consistent with the rest of the pumpkin (ii). Repeat with the other jack-o’-lanterns.
g. Use stiff-consistency dark brown royal icing and a Wilton #18 tip (or equivalent) to pipe the stem. Start piping the stem at the top of the pumpkin, applying gentle pressure as you pull the piping bag upward (i). If desired, rotate the piping bag while it is still attached to the icing to give the stem a twisted appearance (ii). Use the blade edge of a sculpting tool (or equivalent) to cut through the icing to detach it from the piping tip (iii). The result should be a flat stem top. If desired, use a dry paint brush to nudge the top of the stem so that it curls slightly (iv). Repeat to pipe stems for all of the jack-o’-lanterns. Allow the icing to dry completely.
Step 3: Paint jack-o’-lanterns
a. Mix a drop of Bright White gel paste coloring with a touch of Egg Yellow gel paste coloring (or equivalent). Use a small paint brush to spread the light yellow paint on the flat internal edges of the facial features. This lighter color should look like the inside of a cut pumpkin.
b. Dilute a drop of Ivory gel paste coloring (or equivalent) until it is the consistency of watercolor paint. Use a tiny liner paint brush to accent the grooves between the segments of the pumpkin.
c. Dilute a drop of Pumpkin gel paste coloring (or equivalent) until it is the consistency of watercolor paint. Use a flat paint brush to paint a wide outline around each segment of the pumpkin (i). Mix the orange paint with a touch of Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalent), and brush it on to the interior of a segment (ii). Blend the outline and the lighter center highlight with a clean damp paint brush to soften the edges where the two paints meet (iii). Repeat to highlight all of the segments (iv).
d. Mix a drop of Bright White gel paste coloring with a touch of Ivory gel paste coloring (or equivalent). Using a tiny liner paint brush, paint the flat top of the stem. Use the same paint and brush to highlight the ridges of the stem.
Repeat Steps 3a through 3d to paint the other jack-o’-lanterns.
Step 4: Create bases for jack-o’-lanterns
a. Use a Wilton #12 tip (or equivalent) to pipe a dot of stiff-consistency dark brown royal icing on a square of parchment paper. Press the bottom of a jack o’lantern into the icing (i). Use a damp flat paint brush to spread the edges of the dark brown icing into an irregular mound. If you intend to display the final transfers on top of peanut butter cups as I do here, make sure the mound of icing is less than 2 inches (5.1 centimeters) in diameter. Cover the icing with dark cookie crumbs (iii), gently pressing with a sculpting tool (or equivalent) so that the crumbs adhere to the icing (iv).
Step 5: Create and attach spider
a. Print the Spider Legs Template (located in “Files” in “Attachments” at the end of this post), and tape a square of parchment paper over the template.
b. Using kitchen shears, cut eight thin slivers of wafer paper, about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 centimeters) long and 1/16 inch (0.2 centimeter) wide. Paint both sides of a sliver with undiluted Super Black gel paste coloring (or equivalent). Use just enough paint to make the wafer paper flexible but not so much that it becomes stretchy.
c. Pinch and roll the sliver between your fingers until it becomes a thin rope. If the sliver dries out and feels brittle, add a little more black paint.
d. Position the rope over a spider leg template, bending it as necessary to follow the template. Use a small trowel (or equivalent) to flatten the leg so that the bent sections stay in place. Trim any excess wafer paper with the side of the trowel.
e. Repeat to create all eight legs.
f. Using toothpaste-consistency black royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent), pipe a small dot of icing on a square of parchment paper. Insert the back two legs, labeled “1” and “2” on the template, into the lower end of the dot of icing (i). Insert the next two legs, “3” and “4”, above the back legs (ii). Continue to insert legs in number order until all of the legs have been inserted (iii and iv).
g. Using the same icing, pipe an oval below the first dot for the spider’s abdomen. Allow the icing to dry completely before carefully peeling the parchment paper away from the transfer. For reference, my spider is about 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeters) long from toe to toe.
h. Lay the tall jack-o’-lantern on its back on top of a 2 x 3-in (5.1 x 7.6-cm) cookie cutter (or equivalent). Using extra stiff-consistency orange royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent), pipe a dot of icing on the upper right side of the jack-o’-lantern. Use a small square of stiff cardstock (or equivalent) to hover the spider over the jack-o’-lantern. Use a small trowel (or equivalent) to slide the spider onto the dot of icing. Press down gently on the spider’s abdomen to help the transfer adhere. Because the spider is so light, you can stand up the jack-o’-lantern while the icing dries.
Step 6: Create wafer paper leaves
a. Using kitchen shears, cut a piece of wafer paper into three rectangles. Dilute a drop of Warm Brown gel paste coloring (or equivalent) until it is the consistency of watercolor paint. Use a flat paint brush to paint the brown paint over the entire surface of one rectangle. Apply the paint generously (the wafer paper will become completely saturated), but be gentle with your brush strokes so that you don’t tear the wafer paper. Repeat this process to paint another rectangle of wafer paper with a diluted mixture of equal parts Warm Brown and Gold gel paste colorings (or equivalents). Repeat to paint the final rectangle with a diluted mixture of equal parts Espresso and Gold gel paste colorings (or equivalents). Carefully peel the wafer paper off your work surface (it will be slightly stretchy now), and lightly place the pieces on parchment paper to dry (in my arid climate, drying took about 20 minutes).
b. Insert one rectangle of painted wafer paper into a maple leaf craft punch, and punch out leaf shapes. Repeat with the other rectangles of wafer paper. You should end up with a nice assortment of slightly different color leaves.
c. Using a dry, small paint brush, paint a tiny amount of undiluted Warm Brown gel paste coloring (or equivalent) on the tip of a wafer paper leaf. Blend the paint using circular brush strokes until the brush is completely dry. Repeat to add several darkened spots. Use this technique to paint all of the leaves with spots of Warm Brown, Gold, and Espresso gel paste colorings (or equivalents). The leaves may curl slightly as they dry. In the picture below, the leaves in the top row are the leaves after Step 6b; the leaves in the bottom row have been painted as described in Step 6c.
d. Place each jack-o’-lantern transfer on top of a peanut butter cup (or equivalent). Scatter dried leaves to complete the scene.
Finished! I love a theme, so halloween candy makes the perfect platform. However, these jack-o’-lantern transfers are designed as toppers. They would look just as cute on cookies, cakes, cupcakes, or any other part of your Halloween spread.
I hope you have a spook-tacular Halloween!
Samantha Yacovetta is the author of Every Little Detail with Aproned Artist, a monthly Cookie Connection blog feature that focuses on the special little details that make big statements in cookie design. Samantha began cookie decorating in 2013. While working at a local bakery, she became captivated by cookie art when a customer requested princess-themed cookies. Attracted initially to the precision of cookie decorating, Samantha soon found that the limitless design opportunities turned it into her artistic passion. Samantha began regularly stocking the bakery case with decorated cookies and for several years sold cookies through her own company, Aproned Artist, a cottage food operation. Having retired from the business life, Samantha now enjoys making cookies just for fun from her home in San Jose, California, USA. She is known for her love of miniature 3-D cookie scenes and innovative sculpted royal icing techniques. In 2023, Samantha won the American Cake Awards Cookie Award. To learn more about Samantha, please check out her Cookie Connection portfolio, follow her on Instagram or Facebook, or dive into her past Every Little Detail tutorials on this site.
Photo and cookie credits: Samantha Yacovetta
Note: This article expresses the views of the author, and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. Again, to read all of Samantha's past Every Little Detail tutorials, click here. And to see all of Cookie Connection's tutorials, click here.
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