1/4 cup meringue powder (found in baking-supply and party stores)
3/4 cup water
Paste food colorings (red, blue, orange, and brown)
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Knead the cookie dough and flour together until smooth. Roll out the dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness.
Step 2
Print the Pirate Cookie Template and cut out the shape. Place it over the dough and cut out shapes with a sharp paring knife. Transfer the dough shapes to a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Insert a lollipop stick halfway into a cookie. (If you'll be inserting the cookie pops into the cupcakes, cut off about 1 inch of each stick.) Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 14 minutes. Continue cutting out shapes with the remaining dough and sticks.
Step 3
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4
Meanwhile, beat the confectioner's sugar, meringue powder, and water together in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed until well blended and thick. Divide the frosting into separate bowls, keeping the frosting covered to prevent drying out. Tint to desired colors with the paste food coloring. Use a tiny dab of paste and add more to get the desired color.
Step 5
Spoon half of the colored frosting into separate resealable plastic bags. Thin the remaining frosting with a small amount of water and place these into resealable bags. Using the Pirate Cookie Template as a guide, pipe the thicker frosting as outlines and fill in with the thinned frosting. Allow each color to dry before piping a new color. Allow the cookie pops to dry completely, about 4 hours.
