CHICK CUTTER
This is one of my favorite groupings because it’s especially challenging to see the outline of a chick in the other images. Sometimes I even forget which came first, the Chick or the egg-laying Hen!
If the French Fries cookie makes you think of ketchup, you can always add a drizzle of red icing onto the fries themselves, and maybe a few grains of sugar for salt!
CHICK
beginner 
intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch chick cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
1¾ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: lemon yellow, sunset orange, whitener, super black
4 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (see here)
4 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
Black edible pen (optional)
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make yellow lining and flooding icing for the chick; outline and paint in. Mix 1 cup royal icing in a bowl with a toothpick of lemon yellow gel to make pale yellow for the chick. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add whitener, and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the silhouette of the chick. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the chick. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 3. Make yellow lining icing to re-outline the chick; re-outline and make interior details. Refresh the royal icing on medium speed for 30 seconds. Mix ¼ cup in a bowl with lemon yellow gel to make bright yellow to re-outline the chick. Thin to lining consistency and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Re-outline the chick and make the wing and tail feathers.
- 4. Make lining and flooding icing for the beak and feet. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a bowl with sunset orange gel to make bright orange for the beak. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 3 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add whitener, and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the beak and make the feet. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a small paintbrush and the flooding icing, fill in the beak.
- 5. Make lining icing for the eye. Mix 2 tablespoons royal icing with super black gel. Thin to lining consistency and spoon into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Make a black dot for the eye by touching the tip to the cookie, holding the bag at a 45-degree angle, and squeezing without moving the bag. Let set for 5 minutes. Alternatively, make the eye with the black edible pen.
FRENCH FRIES
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch chick cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
3 cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: gold, whitener, copper (flesh), chocolate brown, super black
6 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
6 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make lining and flooding icing for the French fries; outline and paint in. Mix ¾ cup royal icing in a bowl with gold gel to make golden brown for the French fries. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Position the cookie so that the chick’s feet and tail are the top. Using the lining icing, outline the top and sides of the silhouette of the French fries. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the fries, thinning the icing where the paper cone overlaps the fries. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 3. Make white lining and flooding icing for the paper cone; outline and paint in. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ¾ cup icing in a bowl with whitener to make paper white for the cone. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the paper cone, leaving a space on the left where the fingers overlap. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the cone, thinning the icing where the hand overlaps the cone. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 4. Make skin tone lining and flooding icing for the hand; outline and paint in. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ¾ cup icing in a bowl with the copper (flesh) or brown gel to make desired skin color. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the silhouette of the hand and thumb. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the hand and thumb and let set until hard, about 3 hours.
- 5. Make lining icings: brown to re-outline the fries, light gray to outline the cone, and copper (flesh) or brown to re-outline the hand. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon ¼ cup icing into each of three bowls. Cover two with plastic wrap. To the remaining bowl, add gold and chocolate brown gels to make brown for re-outlining the tops of the fries and outlining each one. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Re-outline the tops of the fries. Outline each fry so that they look like they are overlapping. Let set for 5 minutes.
- a. To the second bowl, add super black and whitener gels to make light gray for the paper cone. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Using the light gray lining icing, re-outline the paper cone including the fold detail on the right side.
- b. To the third bowl, add copper (flesh) or brown to re-outline the hand and thumb. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Re-outline the hand and thumb and let set for 5 minutes.
HEN
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch chick cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2½ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: chocolate brown, bright red, whitener, lemon yellow, super black
6 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
6 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make terra cotta lining and flooding icing for the hen’s body. Mix 1 cup royal icing in a bowl with chocolate brown and bright red gel pastes to make terra cotta for the hen’s body. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add a little whitener, and cover with plastic wrap.
- 3. Outline and paint in the hen’s body. Position the cookie so that the chick’s tail and feet are the top. Using the terra cotta lining icing, outline the hen, leaving unlined the point where the beak is and at the bottom where the eggs overlap. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the hen, thinning out the icing where the eggs overlap the hen. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 4. Make lining and flooding icings: white for the eggs and yellow for the beak. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing in a bowl with whitener gel to make bright white for the eggs. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Mix ¼ cup icing in a bowl with lemon yellow gel to make yellow for the beak. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining 2 tablespoons of icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 5. Outline the eggs and beak and paint in. Using the white lining icing, outline the silhouette of the cluster of eggs—do not outline each individual egg. Using the yellow lining icing, outline the sides of the beak that are not attached to the face. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the white flooding icing, paint in the egg area. Using a paintbrush and the yellow flooding icing, paint in the beak, butting up the icing (see here) to the outline of the hen’s face. Let set overnight.
- 6. Make lining icings: red for the comb and black to re-outline the hen and eggs. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ¼ cup icing in a small bowl with bright red gel to make bright red for the comb. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Mix ¼ cup icing in a small bowl with super black gel to make black for outlining the hen. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Mix ¼ cup icing in a small bowl with super black and whitener gels to make light gray for the eggs. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 7. Re-outline the hen and draw details. Outline the individual eggs. Outline and paint in the comb. Using the black lining icing, re-outline the hen and draw the feathers and wing. Make a dot for the eye and a line across the beak for the mouth. Using the light gray lining icing, outline the individual eggs, with some overlapping slightly. Using the red lining icing, outline the comb on top of the hen’s head and draw in the comb. Let set for 5 minutes.
DOG’S HEAD
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch chick cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2¼ cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: gold, regal purple, whitener, chocolate brown, super black
5 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
5 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make golden brown lining and flooding icing for the dog’s head; outline and paint in. Mix 1 cup royal icing in a bowl with gold gel to make golden brown for the dog’s head. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Position the cookie so that the chick’s feet are the top left and the feathers are the bottom left. Using the lining icing, outline the dog’s head, skipping the bump where the nose will be and leaving the neck unlined where it meets the bow. Using a large paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the dog’s head, thinning it out where the bow overlaps. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 3. Make purple lining and flooding icing for the bow tie; outline and paint in. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing in a bowl with regal purple gel to make purple for the bow tie. Thin to piping consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency, add a little whitener, and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the silhouette of the bow, following the left and bottom edges of the cookie. Using a paintbrush and the purple flooding icing, paint in the bow and let set until hard, about 4 hours.
- 4. Make lining icings: dark brown to re-outline the dog’s head and purple for the bow tie; make black lining and flooding icing for the nose and eye. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Spoon ¼ cup icing into each of two bowls. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the other, add gold and chocolate brown gels to make darker brown to re-outline the dog’s head. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the remaining bowl, add regal purple gel to make purple for the bow tie. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Mix 2 tablespoons icing in a bowl with super black gel to make black for the nose and eye. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 5. Re-outline the dog’s head and bow tie. Outline and paint in the nose and eye. Using the darker brown lining icing, re-outline the dog’s head, including detail on the ear, and make dots for the whiskers. Using the purple lining icing, re-outline the bow. Using the black lining icing, make the nose and fill in the eye. Let set for 15 minutes.