Cookie cutters, tools used to shape cookie dough, are a necessity for any baker. Whether you’re making cookies for your cousin’s baby shower or planning a Christmas cookie swap, there is a cookie cutter available that fits your needs. Cookie cutters can generally be purchased wherever kitchen tools are sold.
Plastic cookie cutters are typically the most affordable option for the baker on a budget. These cookie cutters are available individually or in thematic sets that include a variety of seasonal designs. Both small and large cookie cutters are available.
Metal cookie cutters, although significantly more expensive than plastic cookie cutters, tend to be a good option for the serious baker. When made from stainless steel or copper, metal cookie cutters are rust-free and extremely durable. As an added bonus, metal cookie cutters are fun to display in your kitchen. In fact, many people like to hang their metal cookie cutters from a pretty ribbon when not in use.
Most cookie cutters make flat cookies, but 3-D cookie cutters let you create cookies that can double as table centerpieces for almost any occasion. When making cookies with 3-D cookie cutters, you must cut several pieces for the final design and assemble using a thick frosting as an adhesive to keep the various parts of the cookie together. It’s a fairly time-consuming process, but the results are quite impressive.
Regardless of which type of cookie cutter you decide to use, developing a proper baking technique is the key to creating cookies that look and taste like they came from your favorite neighborhood bakery. Your dough should be fairly stiff and rolled to about a ¼ inch (6.35 mm) thickness using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Then, you’ll need to carefully transfer the cut cookies with a plastic spatula to an ungreased cookie sheet before baking. After the cookies have baked and cooled, you’ll want to decorate them using icing made specifically for sugar cookies. If you use regular cake frosting, it won’t set correctly and you’ll be left with a gooey mess to clean up.
Although cookie cutters are traditionally used for making decorated sugar cookies, these versatile kitchen tools have a number of other applications. You can use cookie cutters to cut peanut butter sandwiches, pancakes, and even pizza. Children also enjoy using cookie cutters as templates for clay modeling or paper crafting projects. For this reason, a set of cookie cutters can be considered a wise investment for any baker.
