Top-Down Pumpkins

I kind of have a thing for pumpkin cutters. And by that, I mean that I LOVE THEM. I want to date them and kiss them and marry them. But most importantly, I want to buy them. Every single time I see a new pumpkin cutter, I covet it. I think about it. I go visit it at the store and then eventually, I buy it. And I hold it in my hands and dream of all the most wonderful, lovely, gorgeous pumpkin cookies that ever were dreamed. And then I put it in a bin and pull out all my other cutters and turn them into pumpkin cutters too. And when I can't find JUST the right cutter, I make my own.

Seriously, it might be a disease. You all are going to have to stage an intervention sometime soon. But let's do it after you make these fun top-down pumpkin cookies from a paw cutter. They are my new favorite pumpkins!

1. Start with the section in the bottom front of the pumpkin. Use a #3 tip and 15 count orange icing to outline and fill a vaguely tear drop shape. Move on up to the paisley shape on the right and finish it off with a shorter tear drop in the back. Use the curves of the cookie to guide you. Let these sections dry for at least 30 minutes.

2. Fill in the gaps with more pumpkin sections. Leave the top left gap open so the sections don't run together. Let dry for an hour or two.

3. Fill in the final section of the pumpkin with orange icing. Use 15 count green icing and a #2 tip to make the stem. If you want it to have more dimension, wait 15 minutes after piping the base before you add the stem. I made regular shaped stems on some cookies and just added a circle of icing for the stems on other cookies. Try to stay away from that last section of pumpkin you just piped or things will get weird. Let the whole cookie dry overnight.

4. Using a clean food grade paintbrush, push some brown luster dust into the cracks between the sections and around the stem of the pumpkin to create even more depth.

And because I love you guys almost as much as I love pumpkin cutters, I made you some images you can pop in a KK to help you get consistent pumpkin segments.