Sugar Skulls

Awhile back, I ordered all the stuff necessary to make sugar skulls for a Day f the Dead celebration. The kids and I attempted to make them a few weeks ago thinking it would be a "trial run" before we made the "good" ones that we would use as decorations around the house. But we never got around to doing it again, so I guess we're stuck with what we made--and they weren't very good!

As with so many things in life--making these sugar skulls was not as easy as it looked. There was a lot of mixing of sugar and water and something called meringue powder which was--as you can probably imagine--sticky!!

The basic premise seemed simple--mix the concoction and press it into the skull molds, then gently ease out of the mold.

They. Wouldn't. Come. Out

I think we spent at least an hour tinkering with the sugar to water ratio to get it sticky enough to bind together, but not so sticky that would cling to the mold.Somehow,we managed to get some kind of a system going and we churned out some skulls and "candled" them in the oven so they were slightly hard and ready to decorate.

Now the "fun" started!

You know how decorating cookies always sounds like a fun idea, but it's harder than you remember and your hands are screaming in pain from squeezing the frosting and you're covered in sugar? Decorating the skulls was just like that.

Only worse.

And stickier!
I exaggerate--it was kind of fun once we got the swing of it--and we made some halfway decent ones for our first time.
I like Gooser's minimalist skull:
And Patrick's happy one:
And I think Don wins the prize for most artistic!
I can't remember who did this one--but it's pretty good too!
So the plan was to make them again, but we just haven't and I doubt we will before November first! Of course, by next year we'll have forgotten what we're doing and will be back to Square One again...

Bunny of the Day pic:

Me and the bunnster.

Oh, here's one more!