Instructions

1. Mix sugar and strong-hold meringue powder together in a mixing bowl at a ratio of about 1 teaspoon of meringue powder for each cup of sugar. Add water to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly, using 2 to 3 teaspoons of water per cup of sugar. Add the water a little at a time. The sugar mixture should hold shape well when squeezed in your hand. Add more water to a crumbly mixture or more sugar if the mixture is too wet.

2. Pack the sugar mixture into a sugar skull mold, which vary in size from tiny palm-sized skull molds to large, life-sized molds. Add the mixture a little at a time so you can press it firmly into the facial features, cheekbones, eye sockets, nose bones and teeth. Fill the mold the rest of the way with tightly packed sugar mixture. Scrape a flat edge such as a bench scraper across the top of the mold to remove excess. Repeat this process with a second mold for the back of the skull.

3. Place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper over the sugar skull mold. Cover the paper with a piece of sturdy cardboard. Hold one hand over the cardboard and support the mold in your hand. Flip the cardboard and mold over in one swift motion so the mold is on top. Repeat with the molded back piece for the skull.

4. Lift the molds slowly away from the sugar to reveal the front and back skull designs. The mixture sticks to the mold if it is too wet; if this happens, add more sugar and fill the mold again. More water is needed if the skull crumbles as you remove the mold.

5. Allow the sugar skull pieces to dry and harden for up to 12 hours or until it feels rock hard. It takes significantly longer for the center of large skulls to dry than miniature versions. When the exterior of the molded sugar feels hard on large skulls, lift the pieces and scoop out the damp sugar from the center with a spoon. Set the pieces hollow side up for a few hours to dry. Reuse the damp sugar to make another sugar skull if desired.

6. Make a batch of royal icing for assembling and decorating the sugar skulls. Mix together 1/3 cup of water and 1/4 cup of meringue powder for every pound of powdered sugar -- roughly 3 1/2 cups of sugar. Reserve a small portion of white royal icing for assembling the skulls. Divide the remaining icing, and mix with concentrated gel or powdered food coloring for decorating the skulls.

7. Spread a thin layer of royal icing along the edges of each sugar skull piece with a spatula or pipe on a ¼-inch bead with a decorating bag. Only add the icing to one side of the skull when using a decorating bag. Align the two skull pieces and press them firmly together. Run your finger along the seam to remove excess icing that squeezes out when you connect the two pieces. Allow about 2 hours for the royal icing to dry. When dry, royal icing acts as a cement to fuse the two pieces together.

8. Decorate the skull as desired with decorating bags and the reserved colored royal icing. Sugar skulls often feature images of flowers, jewels, crosses, hearts, lace and filigree designs decorated with symmetry in mind. Flowers are commonly added to the eye sockets, or the sockets might be outlined in scalloped lace detail.

9. Set the decorated sugar skull aside until the royal icing decorations are completely hard and dry which can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on the icing thickness.