Cut out cookie tricks

[Anonymous]

Is there really a way to make this easy? I have tried refrigerating the dough overnight, rolling out on our granite counter top, using wax paper, using parchment paper, using plastic wrap, lots of flour or powdered sugar to reduce sticking and every time I try they stick and deform. I have half a batch in the refrigerator and am tempted to throw out or press into a giant misshapen, uneven mess tomorrow. If I do this I want them to look like the intended cut out and I find myself so exasperated its just not worth it. This is the last year I will try but in the meantime I have dough that needs to bake so any suggestions to help me get through this?

[Anonymous]

After refrigerating the dough, roll it out between two sheets of wax paper, then freeze the rolled out dough for about a half hour. It works best for me, but still annoying! Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

If they're that sticky, I wonder if you added enough flour.

But, more to the point of salvaging the dough. Make drop,cookies. Roll them into little balls. ,if you have a cookie stamp, use it. If not, just bake in little balls. You can roll them in colored sugar to make them festive. Depending on how sweet your dough is, you can press the ball down with your thumb then after the cookies are cool, fill the hole with jelly,or frosting.

[Anonymous]

You can roll out the dough, put it on the baking sheet, cut out the shapes, and then remove the scrap dough from around the cookies. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Eat the dough

[Anonymous]

I know this anathema to the DCUM food police, but for the roll out cookie cutter cookies, we use the Pillsbury "logs" of cookie dough. Chill them first, then cut in half, and then roll into a ball (use plenty of flour). Then you can use a rolling pin to flatten it out. Then use cookie cutters. This works better than making your own dough. It doesn't get sticky and it holds its shape. Those cookies will be covered with frosting anyway, so they don't have to be your "showcase" cookies; make homemade dough for those instead. Here are some ideas: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/lifestyle/holiday-guide-2011/giftsindex/cookies-index.html

[Anonymous]

I use parchment paper on the baking sheets. I take the parchment paper, put it on the counter, roll out the dough on the parchment, cut out the cookies on the parchment and take away the excess dough. Slide the parchment onto the cookie sheet. Much easier.

[Anonymous]

The problem seems to be your dough recipe, not necessarily technique if you've tried all that. It's just too wet which means that even if you get a nice shape cut out it will spread in the oven and frustrate you further. Start with a good recipe (I've had success with allrecipes "best rolled sugar cookies"). Definitely chill the ball in the fridge. You can either roll sections flat and re-chill or roll a section, cut out your cookie and then rechill on the sheet before baking. I do neither because I always start these projects at 9pm and I just don't have the patience. Have never had a problem but I definitely work on a section at a time of dough and keep the rest chilled. Oh, and don't roll the dough too thin - that could be another problem.

[Anonymous]

I use more of a shortbread cookie recipe ( like the ones they sell at Panera) and found that the thicker dough is much easier to work with than the thin, fragile butter cookies I used to do.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the pp that is sounds like the problem is your recipie not your technique. I have been making cut out cookies for years (and even sold them for a while) I always use the Land o'Lakes sugar cookie recipie. Trust me the OJ make a great cookie. You don't taste the OJ but it tweaks the flavor of the cookie and makes it less sweet so that when you add icing it won't make your teeth rot.

I mix up the dough per the recipie but will go heavy on the flour if the dough is at all sticky. You should be able to handle the dough with out it sticking to you. This is all a factor of how soft your butter was.
After it is mixed. I will sometimes color the dough with food coloring. If we are going to make a whole bunch of Christmas tree and wreath shapes then we color it green. This makes decorating a little easier and really adds a wow factor to the cookie without using a ton of icing.
I then divide the dough into thirds and put each third between wax paper and flatten it out between two plates so I end up with 3 disks of dough about 3/4" thick. I then stick them in the fridge for at least a day (or two, or three depending on my schedule)
Take the disks out and roll them out on a floured surface and proceed with cutting and baking.

http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/2931/sugar-cookie-cut-outs

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback and ideas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem seems to be your dough recipe, not necessarily technique if you've tried all that. It's just too wet which means that even if you get a nice shape cut out it will spread in the oven and frustrate you further. Start with a good recipe (I've had success with allrecipes "best rolled sugar cookies"). Definitely chill the ball in the fridge. You can either roll sections flat and re-chill or roll a section, cut out your cookie and then rechill on the sheet before baking. I do neither because I always start these projects at 9pm and I just don't have the patience. Have never had a problem but I definitely work on a section at a time of dough and keep the rest chilled. Oh, and don't roll the dough too thin - that could be another problem.

This is actually the recipe I am using - seriously. I am the problem and probably some of the other that have been identified. I guess I just find the whole rolling and cutting process to be totally unjoyful.

[Anonymous]

Try dipping the cookie cutter in flour, or spray it with Pam.

[Anonymous]

Add more flour. Turn the dough as you roll, lift edges and flour underneath. Don't roll too thin......and open the window so the kitchen stays cold!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is actually the recipe I am using - seriously. I am the problem and probably some of the other that have been identified. I guess I just find the whole rolling and cutting process to be totally unjoyful.

Might a glass of wine or spiked eggnog get you in the appropriate holiday spirit?
If you have an issue of the rolled dough sticking to your countertops - you are not using enough flour on the surface. Also, I find that rolling out on a silpat sheet makes sticking nonexistent and simplifies cleanup of all the superfluous flour.