How to Bake With Cookie Cutters

Metal cookie cutters make sharper and straighter cuts than plastic ones.

Sugar cookie cutouts are one of the most classic homemade cookies. They are simple, tasty and universal to any season. Iced sugar cookies can be customized for any occasion to add novelty, creativity and fun to the dessert table. Yet baking sugar cookie cutouts can be tricky. As they are light and thin, they tend to burn. The key to using cookie cutters is to roll the dough to a uniform thickness and to make clean, sharp cuts with the cutter.

Things You'll Need

• Cookie cutter
• 3 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Baking sheet
• Parchment or silicon mat

Instructions

1. Mix the dough. To make the classic sugar cookie, combine 3 cups flour with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup softened, room temperature butter, 1 cup white sugar, 2 eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients and mold into a large ball using your hands.

2. Roll the dough into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours until chilled.

3. Flour your counter surface. Cut the chilled dough in 1 cup portions. Roll out the dough on the floured surface to an even thickness between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. If a cookie does not have a uniform thickness, it will cook unevenly, creating undercooked and burned spots.

4. Dip the cookie cutter into a bowl of flour. Press firmly into the dough and jiggle. Lift the cutter straight upward. If the cookie sticks to the inside of the cutter, poke it out with your finger and place on a parchment- or silicon-lined cookie sheet. If the cutout stays on the counter, wait to remove it until all the cuts have been made. Peal the scraps away from the cutouts and gently use a butter knife to lift it off of the counter and onto the prepared cookie sheet.

5. Space the cookies at least 1/3 inch apart on the cookie sheet so they do not grow into each other and stick.

6. Place the tray in the refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes. Refrigerating the cutouts will help keep their shape during baking and crisp the edges. Chances of premature melt will be lessened. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Bake the chilled cookies for seven to 10 minutes. Cooking times vary depending on your oven and rack level. Watch the cookies, checking every two minutes. Remove from oven when the bottom edges become golden.

8. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before decorating.

References

• Joy of Baking: Sugar Cookie Recipe
• What's Cooking America: Cookie Tips