Celebrating the guest of honor is as easy as A-B-C with these letter-cookie cupcake toppers. To create the cookies, cut rounds from sugar cookie cutouts (two different sizes are shown, but just one will do), then cut a letter from the inside of each round with a mini cookie cutter. Instead of a single letter, you can make a set of cookies featuring the entire alphabet (you will need a couple more cupcakes to show them off), a great idea for a party full of preschoolers just learning their letters.
Ingredients
- 24 Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Sugar Cookie Cutouts
- Royal Icing
- Gel-paste food color (blue is pictured)
How to Make It
- Make cookies, using 2-inch cookie cutters to cut out 12 rounds and 1½-inch cutters to cut out another 12 rounds. Use mini letter-shaped cookie cutters to cut out letters from centers of rounds. Gather together and reroll scraps; cut out more rounds and letters, as needed.
- Tint royal icing with gel-paste food color. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, pressing out air and sealing top of bag with a rubber band to keep icing from drying out. Pipe icing to outline each cookie and then outline letter cut out. Fill in with a thin layer of icing, using a toothpick to spread evenly. Let stand until icing is set, at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with buttercream, and pipe in a spiral pattern onto each cupcake, starting at the edges and ending with a peak in the center. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature, and place one iced letter cookie upright in the buttercream on each cupcake, before serving.
