One of the sweetest part of the holidays is cookies. And cut-out cookies are practically required to make the season official. We’ve all seen the ones in magazines that are works of art, but how do you get your own cookies to turn out beautifully with as little stress as possible? Follow these tips.
Stop the Sticking
Rolling out your cut out cookies can result in a sticky mess. Try rolling the dough between two sheets of floured parchment to avoid this. Cut out the cookies on the parchment; they will keep their shapes better since you won’t be scraping them off the counter. You can just move the entire bottom sheet with the cookies right on it to your baking sheet if you wish.
Roll Evenly
Start rolling the dough from the center to the edges so that it will roll out evenly. Keeping the dough the same thickness throughout will help the cookies bake evenly (if they aren’t the same thickness, some will brown while others will be underdone). To make this easier, buy spacer bands (they look like thick rubber bands) to put on the ends of your rolling pin so that can control the thickness of your dough.
Put Together a Puzzle
Minimize the number of times you have to re-roll the dough by fitting the cookie cutters as closely together as possible on the dough. Think of it like a puzzle and squeeze as many as you can together, leaving very few scraps.
Cutter Cues
Be sure to dip your cookie cutters in flour each time before pressing them into the dough to minimize sticking. If you have cookie cutters with small nooks and crannies, use a chopstick to gently push out the dough that is getting stuck in the small spaces. If you do make a mistake and a piece breaks off, gently press it back together and put a drop of water on your finger to smooth out the seam.
Chill Out
Chilling the dough for at least an hour before you roll it will make it less sticky and easier to manage. Once you’ve rolled it out, chill it again (about 5 minutes) before you cut the cookies out. Then chill the cookies once more time (about 5 minutes) after you’ve cut them out and before you bake them. This will help them keep their nice crisp edges and make your shapes more recognizable.