TEXAS CUTTER
To be honest, sometimes I have to remind myself which cutter I used to make a particular cookie after it is decorated. That’s certainly true of the Chinese Takeout box. By squaring off some of the rounded edges, I found shapes that mimicked the flaps and front of a traditional container. This cutter is also a good example of how it isn’t necessary to use every square inch of a cookie to make the design you want: The Turtle and her baby was such an irresistible idea that I insisted on figuring out a way to make it work—in Texas! It’s a great cookie to make for a baby shower or Mother’s or Father’s Day.
TEXAS
beginner 
intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch Texas cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2 cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: lemon yellow, egg yellow, whitener, super black, bright blue, bright red
4 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
4 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make yellow lining and flooding icing for Texas. Mix 1¼ cups royal icing in a small bowl with lemon yellow, egg yellow, and whitener gels to make yellow for Texas. 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.
- 3. Outline and paint in Texas. Using the yellow lining icing, outline Texas, making the lines on the top left corner straight and squared off. Draw squiggly lines for the rest of the outline, following the edge of the cookie. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and yellow flooding icing, paint in Texas. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 4. Make lining icings: black to re-outline Texas and blue to outline the Rio Grande; make red lining and flooding icing for the star. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Fill three bowls with ¼ cup icing each. Cover two with plastic wrap. To the remaining bowl, add super black gel to make black. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the second bowl, add bright blue and whitener gels to make light blue for the Rio Grande. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the third bowl, add bright red gel to make red for the star. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining red icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 5. Outline the Rio Grande, re-outline the entire state, and write the word TEXAS; outline and paint in the star. Using the light blue lining icing, re-outline the bottom left edge of Texas for the Rio Grande. Using the black lining icing, re-outline the rest of Texas and write the word TEXAS across the cookie. Using the red lining icing, outline a star at the bottom right corner of Texas for the capital. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the red flooding icing, fill in the star. Let set for 1 hour.
BIRDHOUSE
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch Texas 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: bright red, buckeye brown, chocolate brown, bright blue, whitener, lemon yellow, super black, electric pink
Black fine-tipped edible marker (optional)
7 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
6 #1 tips
1 #1.5 tip
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make lining and flooding icings: red for the birdhouse and brown for the post. Mix ¾ cup royal icing in a small bowl with bright red gel to make red for the birdhouse. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Mix ¼ cup icing in a small bowl with buckeye brown and chocolate brown gels to make brown for the wood post. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining brown icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 3. Outline and paint in the birdhouse and post. Position the cookie so the bottom point of Texas is at the top. Using the red lining icing, outline the birdhouse, leaving the top right area unlined where the bird overlaps the birdhouse. Using the brown lining icing, outline the wood post at the bottom right corner of the cookie, butting (see here) the brown line to the bottom edge of the birdhouse. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the red flooding icing, paint in the birdhouse, thinning the icing out in the area where the bird overlaps. Using a paintbrush and the brown flooding icing, paint in the post. Let set for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 4. Make lining and flooding icings: light blue for the bird and yellow for the beak. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing in a small bowl with bright blue and whitener gels to make light blue for the bird. 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 small 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 icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 5. Outline and paint in the bird and the beak; make details. Using the light blue lining icing, outline the bird on top of the birdhouse. Pipe the wing so that the top edge of the wing follows the top right edge of the cookie, and draw bumps for feathers. Leave room at the right side of the cookie for the beak and worm. Using the yellow lining icing, outline the beak, butting (see here) the yellow line up to the head. Make the legs and feet. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the light blue flooding icing, paint in the bird. Using a paintbrush and the yellow flooding icing, paint in the beak. Let set for 4 to 6 hours.
- 6. Make lining icing to re-outline the bird, birdhouse, and post; make details. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a small bowl with super black gel to make black for the outline of the bird and birdhouse. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Using the black lining icing, re-outline the bird, including the beak, exaggerating the scallops on the wing and tail to make the feathers. Make a black dot for the eye. Re-outline the birdhouse and wood post. Pipe a line just within the top left outline of the birdhouse to make the roof.
- 7. Make lining icings: pink for the worm and dark brown for the wood grain. Fill two bowls with ¼ cup royal icing each. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the other bowl, add electric pink, buckeye brown, and whitener gels to make pink for the worm. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1.5 tip. To the second bowl, add buckeye brown and chocolate brown gels to make dark brown for the wood grain. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 8. Make the worm, wood grain, and hole in the birdhouse. Using the pink lining icing, squeeze firmly to pipe a fat worm around the beak. Using the dark brown lining icing, pipe short vertical lines across the wood post for wood grain. Using the black lining icing, outline the part of the hole visible behind the bird, and fill in the hole with the piping tip. Or, if you have a black fine-tipped edible marker, draw the hole behind the bird, and color it in with the marker. Let set for 15 minutes.
CHINESE TAKEOUT
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch Texas cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
2 cups Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: gold, lemon yellow, whitener, ivory, bright red
6 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
5 #1 tips
1 #1.5 tip
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make golden brown flooding icing for the background of the noodles and paint in. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a small bowl with gold, lemon yellow, and whitener gels to make golden brown for the noodle background. Thin to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using a paintbrush, thinly paint in the area where the noodles are, thinning the icing out on left, right, and bottom where the box overlaps. Do not thin out the icing on the top where the chopsticks will go. This should remain bare. Let set for 4 to 6 hours.
- 3. Make lining and flooding icings: white for the box and light tan for the chopsticks. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a small bowl with whitener gel to make bright white for the box. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Mix ¼ cup icing in a small bowl with ivory and whitener gels to make light tan for the chopsticks. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 4. Outline and paint in the box and chopsticks. Position the cookie so the bottom point of Texas is at 9 o’clock. Using the white lining icing, outline the takeout box, going over the golden brown icing and making the lines straight. Using the light tan lining icing, outline the chopsticks so that they cross each other, making an X shape. Leave the bottoms of the chopsticks unlined where they stick into the noodles. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the white flooding icing, paint in the takeout box. Using a paintbrush and the light tan flooding icing, paint in the chopsticks. Do not thin the icing out into the noodles. Let set for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 5. Make lining icings: light gold for the noodles, white to re-outline the box, and tan to re-outline the chopsticks. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Fill three bowls with ¼ cup icing each. Cover two with plastic wrap. To the remaining bowl, add gold, lemon yellow, and whitener gels to make light golden brown for the noodles. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1.5 tip. To the second bowl, add whitener gel to make bright white for the re-outline of the box. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the third bowl, add ivory and whitener gels to make tan for the outline of the chopsticks. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 6. Make the noodles; re-outline the box and chopsticks. Using the light golden brown lining icing, pipe squiggly lines all over the darker golden brown icing for the noodles, making sure to cover the bottoms of the chopsticks so that they look like they are stuck into the noodles. Don’t be afraid to build up the squiggles and cover up the golden brown background. Using the white lining icing, re-outline the takeout box. Using the tan lining icing, re-outline the chopsticks so that one crosses in front of the other.
- 7. Make lining icing for the pagoda and draw it in. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a small bowl with bright red gel to make red for the pagoda. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Using the red lining icing, draw the pagoda on the takeout box by dragging the tip on the icing to make thin lines.
TURTLE
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
3-inch Texas 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: leaf green, neon green, chocolate brown, lemon yellow, whitener, super black
4 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
4 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make green lining and flooding icing for the turtle’s head; make chartreuse flooding icing for the belly. Fill two bowls with ½ cup royal icing each. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the other bowl, add leaf green, neon green, and chocolate brown gels to make green for the 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. To the second bowl, add neon green and lemon yellow gels to make chartreuse for the turtle’s belly. Thin the icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 3. Outline the head, neck, and belly and paint in. Position the cookie so the bottom point of Texas is at 4 o’clock. Using the green lining icing, outline the head and neck, leaving the area unlined where the shell overlaps the neck. Outline the turtle’s belly, starting at the bottom of the neck and stopping on the bottom right edge where the shell meets the belly. Leave the top of the belly unlined where the shell overlaps. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the green flooding icing, paint in the head and neck, thinning the icing out to the right where the shell overlaps. Using the chartreuse flooding icing, paint in the belly, butting (see here) the icing up to the piped green line of the bottom of the neck and thinning it out where the shell overlaps. Let set for 4 to 6 hours.
- 4. Make dark green lining and flooding icing for the shell. Mix 1 cup royal icing in a small bowl with leaf green and chocolate brown gels to make dark green for the turtle shell. 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.
- 5. Outline and paint in the shell. Using the dark green lining icing, outline the shell, going over the neck and belly. Leave enough space above the shell for the baby turtle and leave a gap unlined where the baby overlaps the shell. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the dark green flooding icing, paint in the shell, thinning out the icing slightly where the baby turtle overlaps the shell. Let set for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 6. Make green lining and flooding icing for the legs; make light green flooding icing for the baby turtle. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing in a small bowl with leaf green, neon green, and chocolate brown gels to make the same green as the turtle’s head for the legs. 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 small bowl with leaf green, chocolate brown, and whitener gels to make light green for the baby turtle. Thin to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 7. Outline the legs, feet, and baby turtle and paint in. Using the green lining icing, outline the legs and feet, going over the chartreuse belly and butting (see here) the line up to the bottom edge of the shell. Outline the baby turtle on top of the shell. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the green flooding icing, paint in the legs and feet. Using the light green flooding icing, paint in the baby turtle. Let set for 2 to 3 hours.
- 8. Make black lining icing to re-outline the turtles; re-outline the turtles and make the eyes, mouth, and shell pattern. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a small bowl with super black gel to make black for the outline of the turtles. Thin to lining consistency and spoon all of it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Using the black lining icing, re-outline both turtles. Pipe black dots for the eyes and a curved line for the mouth on the bigger turtle. Make the pattern on the turtles’ backs. Let dry for 1 hour.