Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies

Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies, Lay The Table

I have wanted to make gnome cookies for awhile, and since fall is my favorite season, I thought now would be the perfect time. I’m rather smitten with  these gnomes in their pumpkin patch (another favorite thing)! We tried to grow pumpkins in our garden this year , as we have in the past, but this time, the darn gophers got the best of us, and our pumpkin plants disappeared overnight, literally! Big SIGH.

Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies, Lay The Table

I found these cookie cutters at Cookie Cutter Kingdom, which was the first step in turning my cookie vision into a reality. I had so much fun!

Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies, Lay The Table

See the tiny leaves? I used a leaf shaped, paper punch tool to produce tiny fall leaves, punched from real leaves! Such an authentic, sweet touch. 

The “moss” is crushed graham cracker crumbs with some green food coloring added. 🙂

Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies, Lay The Table

Love the hedgehog…so easy to decorate with cute results. 

Gnome Pumpkin Patch Cookies, Lay The Table

I wish my real garden produced such cuteness!

Gnome Garden Cookies

Ingredients

Gnome cookie cutter

Hedgehog cookie cutter

Toadstool cookie cutter

Trowel cookie cutter

Spade cookie cutter

Small pumpkin cookie cutter

Sugar cookie dough

Royal Icing

Disposable frosting bags

Decorating tips: sizes 1,2,3

Food coloring gel: black, green, orange, brown, red, yellow, ivory, and white

Rolkem silver dust (optional)

Food markers: black, red, brown

Chocolate jimmies (sprinkles)

Small paint brush

Plain chocolate cookie wafer

Instructions

1. Mix cookie dough and roll out about 3/8-inch thick.

2. Cut out cookies and place on baking sheets. (I usually place the baking sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking to help the cookies hold their shape.)

3. Bake according to cookie recipe and allow cookies to cool.

4. Mix up the royal icing and place portions in separate bowls to make the different colors, estimating how much of each color you need. (I add white gel to the royal icing that will be white because I think it helps to prevent bleeding of just plain, untinted icing and it looks less transparent, but that step is optional.)

5. Place the tinted frosting in the decorating bags with the appropriate tips (smaller tips for finer details).

6. To decorate gnomes: With the green, medium consistency frosting, outline the green suit. Next, outline the hat in red or green and fill in. Allow to dry for an hour and then fill in the suit. (If you fill it too quickly you will lose definition on the arms, unless you want to detail it afterwards.) When the hat and suit dry for about an hour, add the squiggle detail to the hat is white or yellow. Outline and fill in the beard with the white icing, and the face with the ivory. Add the nose, hands, and ears with the ivory icing. Let dry overnight before adding the facial details with the black and red (cheeks) food markers.

To decorate toadstools: (Of course you can decorate these at the same time as you are decorating the other cookies.) Using red, medium consistency icing, fill in the top part of the toadstool. Immediately add the white dots (tip #1) with the same consistency of icing as the red. (wet on wet decorating). Let the red dry for about an hour and then use white icing to outline and fill in the stem. Sprinkle on some of the moss mix while it is still wet.

To decorate the hedgehogs: Outline and fill in the head and feet of the hedgehog with the ivory icing. Let it dry for about 20 minutes and then outline and fill in the body of the hedgehog with the brown icing. While it is still wet add the chocolate jimmies. Add the nose with some red icing. Let dry overnight before adding the facial details with the food markers.

To decorate the garden tools: Outline and fill the handles of the tools with the color of your choice. Fill in the bottom part with gray icing (Black mixed with white). (Optional)After drying, add silver dust (mixed with a bit of clear almond extract) and apply it to tools with a small paint brush, used only for food. (Optional) Add some finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs to wet tool as “dirt”.

To decorate pumpkins: Outline and fill in the pumpkin with orange icing. Decorate the stem with the brown icing. Let dry. Add the vine with the green icing. Add brown shading details to pumpkin with the grown food marker.

To make my cookies stand upright I attached a small piece of baked sugar cookie to the back of each cookie with the royal icing and let it dry. The small cookie piece was a 90 degree triangle, to adhere to the cookie like a bookend. 🙂

Have Fun!

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