PEAR CUTTER
The pear cutter is the smallest one in this book, which makes the cookies great candidates for putting on sticks to make cookie pops. The Pear itself is an ideal cookie for beginners because it uses simple techniques.
Sometimes it’s just fun to make cookies that are totally unexpected (see Sardines, here; Hair Dryer, here; Ship in a Bottle, here). Why would you ever make a ham-shaped cookie? It’s just silly and it makes people laugh! And you would not likely find a ham cookie cutter anywhere else.
PEAR
beginner 
intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
2½-inch pear cookie cutter
Cookie dough of choice (here), prepared, chilled, and rolled out
Cooling racks
TO DECORATE
1 cup Royal Icing (here)
Pasteurized egg white or water
Gel food colors: lemon yellow, neon green, whitener, chocolate brown, sunset orange
2 plastic or parchment paper piping bags (here)
2 #1 tips
Assorted paintbrushes
Plate or ceramic mixing palette
- 1. Make the cookies. Cut out 24 cookies from the dough. Bake and cool as directed.
- 2. Make the lining and flooding icing for the pear and outline. Mix ¾ cup royal icing in a bowl with lemon yellow, neon green, and whitener gels to make golden yellow. 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 golden yellow lining icing, outline the pear, not including the stem. Let set for 5 minutes.
- 3. Make brown lining and flooding icing for the stem; outline and paint in. Spoon ¼ cup royal icing into a bowl and mix in chocolate brown gel to make brown for the stem. 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. Using the lining icing, outline the stem, touching the base of the stem to the top of the pear. Let set for 5 minutes. Reserve the brown lining icing.
- 4. Paint in the pear and stem. Using a paintbrush and the golden yellow flooding icing, paint in the pear. Using a paintbrush and the brown flooding icing, paint in the stem. Let set for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 5. Re-outline the stem. Make watercolors and paint on details. Using the reserved brown lining icing, re-outline the stem. Squeeze a few dots of sunset orange and chocolate brown gels onto a mixing palette or plate. Using a medium paintbrush, mix a little water into the orange gel to make a watercolor (see here). Use it to shade the pear along the left side. Use a paintbrush and water to dilute the brown gel, then paint tiny specks in clusters on the pear. Let set for 15 minutes or until dry.
HAM
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
2½-inch pear 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: whitener, chocolate brown, buckeye brown, bright red, 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 white lining and flooding icing for the ham bone. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with whitener gel to make bright white. 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 the ham bone. Position the cookie so that the stem of the pear is at 10 o’clock. Using the white lining icing, outline the tip of the ham bone. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the white flooding icing, paint in the ham bone, thinning out the icing where the ham overlaps the bone. Let set for 1 hour. Reserve the white lining and flooding icing.
- 4. Make brown lining and flooding icing for the skin; outline and paint in. While the white icing sets, mix ½ cup royal icing with chocolate brown and buckeye brown gels to make brown for the skin of the ham. 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 brown lining icing, outline the skin of the ham following the edge of the cookie, making small bumps along both sides and going over the bone. Let set for 5 minutes. Using the brown flooding icing, paint in the ham skin. Let set for 4 to 6 hours.
- 5. Make lining and flooding icing for the fat layer; outline and paint in. Spoon ½ cup royal icing into a bowl, 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 the bowl with plastic wrap. Using the uncolored lining icing, outline the layer of fat, butting up (here) the interior line against the skin line. Make another line ¼ inch inside the outer line. Using a small paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in the fat ring. Let set for 1 hour.
- 6. Make pink flooding icing for the meat; paint in. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with bright red, buckeye brown, and whitener gels to make pink for the ham. Thin to flooding consistency. Using a paintbrush, paint in the ham, butting the icing up to the interior line of the fat ring. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 7. Outline and paint in the bone in the ham. Using the reserved bright white lining icing, outline a small circle in the center of the pink icing. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the reserved white flooding icing, paint in the circle. Let set for 1 hour.
- 8. Make dark brown and black lining icings; re-outline the ham and make details. While the icing sets, beat the royal icing at medium low for 30 seconds. Mix ½ cup icing with chocolate brown and buckeye brown gels to make dark brown for re-outlining the ham and making the details on the skin. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Mix 2 tablespoons icing with super black gel to make black for the inner circle. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Using the darker brown lining icing, re-outline the skin of the ham, including the line that butts up against the fat ring. Make a grid pattern on the skin, drawing the horizontal lines first, followed by the vertical lines. Using the black lining icing, outline a black circle in the center of the bone in the ham, and fill in with the icing. Let set for 15 minutes or until dry.
FLOWER
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
2½-inch pear 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: neon orange, sunset orange, leaf green, neon green, whitener, lemon yellow
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 orange lining and flooding icing for the petals. Mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with neon orange and sunset orange gels to make bright orange for the petals. 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.
- 3. Outline and paint in the petals. Position the cookie so that the pear stem is the bottom. Using the orange lining icing, outline the silhouette of the petals of the flower, noting that three are clustered together in the middle. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the orange flooding icing, paint in the petals. Let set for 2 to 4 hours.
- 4. Make green lining and flooding icing for the leaves; outline and paint in. While the orange icing sets, mix ½ cup royal icing in a bowl with leaf green and neon green to make green for the stem and leaves. 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 stem and leaves, butting (see here) the top of the stem to the bottom of the petals and giving the leaves jagged edges by holding the piping tip close to the cookie. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the green flooding icing, paint in the stem and leaves. Let set for 2 to 3 hours.
- 5. Make dark orange and dark green lining icings to re-outline the petals and stem. Make lemon yellow lining and flooding icing for the center of the flower. When the orange and green flooding icings are set, spoon ¼ cup royal icing into each of three bowls. Cover two with plastic wrap. To the remaining bowl, add neon orange and sunset orange gels to make dark orange for re-outlining the petals. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the second bowl, add leaf green and neon green gels to make dark green for re-outlining the stem and petals. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the third bowl, add lemon yellow gel to make lemon yellow for the center of the flower. 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 gel, and cover with plastic wrap.
- 6. Outline and paint in the center of the flower. Re-outline the petals, stem, and leaves. Make details. Using the yellow lining icing, outline an oval for the center of the flower, piping it over the orange icing. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the yellow flooding icing, paint in the oval. Let set for 1 hour. Meanwhile, use the dark orange lining icing to re-outline the flower petals. Use the dark green lining icing to re-outline the stem and leaves. Pipe a line down the center of each leaf.
- 7. Make dark yellow lining icing and re-outline the center. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a bowl with lemon yellow gel to make dark yellow. Thin to lining consistency and spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Re-outline the yellow center. Holding the bag at a 45-degree angle and touching the tip to the cookie, make tiny dots in the center of the flower. Let set for 1 hour.
HIPPO
beginner intermediate advanced
MAKES 24
what you need
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
2½-inch pear 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: super black, regal purple, whitener, bright red
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 black lining and flooding icing for the inside of the mouth. Mix ¼ cup royal icing in a small bowl with super black gel to make black. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to thin flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap.
- 3. Outline and paint in the mouth. Position the cookie so that the pear stem is the hippo’s ear. Using the black lining icing, outline the black part of the mouth only on the edge of the cookie between the top and bottom lips. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, thinly paint in the black area of the mouth, thinning out the icing where the tongue and mouth overlap. Let set for 1 hour. Reserve the black lining icing.
- 4. Make purple-gray lining and flooding icing for the hippo’s head; outline and paint in. Meanwhile, mix ¾ cup royal icing in a bowl with a toothpick each of super black, regal purple, and whitener gels to make purple-gray for the head. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining purple-gray to flooding consistency and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the hippo’s head, including the open mouth and making a small bump for the nostril and a teardrop shape for the ear. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the purple-gray flooding icing, paint in the head. Let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- 5. Outline the eye. Make red lining and flooding icing for the tongue; make dark purple lining icing to re-outline the hippo. Refresh the royal icing on medium low for 30 seconds. Using the reserved black lining icing, outline the eye in a small half-moon shape. Reserve the black lining icing. Spoon ½ cup royal icing into each of two small bowls. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the remaining, add bright red gel to make red for the tongue. 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. To the second bowl, add super black and regal purple gels to make dark purple-gray for re-outlining the hippo. Spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip.
- 6. Outline and paint in the tongue. Re-outline the head and make details. Using the red lining icing, outline the tongue (including under the teeth), butting up (see here) the line against the purple-gray rim of the mouth. Let set for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the red flooding icing, paint in the tongue. Let set for 4 to 6 hours. Using the dark purple lining icing, re-outline the head. Outline the interior nostril and the curve of the ear.
- 7. Make dark red lining icing and re-outline the tongue. Make white lining and flooding icing for the teeth; outline, paint in, and re-outline. Fill in eye and details. Spoon ¼ cup royal icing into each of two bowls. Cover one with plastic wrap. To the other, add bright red gel to make dark red. Spoon it all into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. To the second bowl, add whitener gel to make white for the teeth. Thin to lining consistency and spoon 2 tablespoons icing into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the white lining icing, outline the upper and lower teeth, butting the white lines to the edge of the mouth. Fill in the eye with the tip of the white lining icing. Let set for 5 minutes. Reserve the white lining icing. Using a paintbrush and the white flooding icing, paint in the teeth. Let set for 1 hour. When the white flooding icing is set, use the reserved white lining icing to re-outline the teeth. Using the dark red lining icing, re-outline the tongue. Using the reserved black lining icing, make a dot for the pupil on top of the eye. Let set for 1 hour.