Maybe it’s because I live in Minnesota, that all things summer make me so happy! This summer cookie set was just so fun to make and are totally beginner to intermediate friendly! If you can pipe and flood well, you can make these! And if you have an airbrush, it really elevates this cookie set. Hint…if you don’t have an airbrush yet, this is your sign! Without further delay, let’s jump into the fun!
Summer Cookie Cutters
Besties, did you know that The Cookie Countess sells Ann Clark cookie cutters for a fraction of what they cost on Amazon?! It’s true! Now, if I need a cutter really fast and don’t have anything else to buy from Cookie Countess, I do commonly still buy them on Amazon, especially if it’s a set. But if you are looking to buy one or two single cutters, they are almost always at least $7-$8 each on Amazon whereas Cookies Countess sells single cutters for $2-$3 each. No joke! So, I try to plan ahead for other supplies I need such as meringue powder or other stencils to get free shipping at Cookie Countess and a far better price on the cutters.
Okay, I had to share that shopping tip, but back to this summer cookie set! The hot dog, grill and shirt cutters are from The Cookie Countess. I also purchased this ridiculously adorable 3-piece stencil set from there as well, which I used on the shirts. I had to have it as soon as I saw it!
Cookie Recipes
I used my trusty go-to, no-chill, no-spread sugar cookie recipe along with my favorite no-fail royal icing recipe.
Here are the gel colors I used for the icing:
- Hot Dog: ChefMaster Buckeye Brown with a few drops of Super Red
- Buns: AmeriColor Warm Brown
- Mustard: ChefMaster Lemon Yellow
- Grill: Chefmaster Super Red (I color Deep Pink first)
- Black details: ChefMaster Black Diamond (I color Buckeye Brown first)
If you need any tips on coloring royal icing, THIS post is helpful!
Decorating
Here are our naked, fresh canvases to start with!
To begin decorating, I flooded the shirt white, flooded the grill area red and flooded the hot dog. I also added a little white accent line to the grill using the wet-on-wet technique. I popped all of them in the dehydrator to quick set.
The shirt needs to fully dry before stenciling, so I continued with the hot dogs and grills. Once the above areas had crusted over, I added the bun to the hot dog and the black details to the grill. Back into the dehydrator they went!
Once the additional sections had crusted over, I added the mustard to the hot dog and the red grill detail. You know what I’m going to say…back in the dehydrator to set!
Honestly, if you can pipe and flood, you can make these! Next, we’re tackling the airbrushing for the grilling shirt! I’m also going to do a little airbrushing on the hot dog buns so you can see a comparison of how much definition a little airbrushing can do.
So, this is a 3-piece stencil set, meaning there are 3 separate stencils that you’ll use one at a time to give a layered look. First, I airbrushed the light brown color on:
Then I added the red color:
And then finally the yellow color:
Then I piped on white details for the shirt, for the finished product! These are the cutest grill shirts ever, I’m in love with these!
Earlier, I promised to show a comparison of a hot dog without any airbrushing to one with just a little brown airbrushing. In the photo below, the top dog has very subtle airbrushing and the bottom dog does not have any airbrushing. In this photo it’s very subtle, but you can see how cookies without appear flatter whereas airbrushing adds a 3D effect. I LOVE using airbrushing for stenciling but also for adding dimension to my cookies. If you’re in the market for an airbrush, THIS is a popular and reliable one!
These summer cookies were so easy and fun to make and would be a hit at any summer gathering! I hope you enjoyed this step-by-step cookie decorating set and it inspires you to try a new set!
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