Cookie Cutters
December 1st, 2009
Cookie baking is big in our house, especially when the weather is grim like today, and as you can see from the picture we’ve started to collect quite a variety of cutters. My son loves picking out which ones to use (currently the bear and the lion are particular favourites). I pick cutters up from all sorts of places but I do find Cakes Cookies and Crafts Shop a corker — especially as they usually offer 4 for the price of 3. Cox & Cox also do some good ones (but more on them later as they definitely deserve their own post).
Today however we used our new kid-friendly cutters
I’ve tried various cookie recipes that are suitable for using cutters on and I find most to be a bit bland and dry, so I usually stick to using Jane Grigson’s recipe for shortbread (see below), which is delicious, easy to ‘cut’ and particularly good splattered with melted chocolate. If you have a fab cookie recipe that works with cutters then please let me know!
Jane Grigson’s Recipe for Shortbread (taken from her book English Food
-225g Plain Flour
-75g Corn Flour
-200g Butter
-100g Caster Sugar
Sift the flours together into a large bowl, add the butter (at room temp) and sugar mix to combine into a dough (a good 4 or 5 mins). Roll out, cut into shapes and then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for about 12 mins (or until very slightly browning at edges).
How easy is that!
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
(NB1: if you do decide to take a look at English Food check out the Parsnip Cake on page 318 (of Hardback version) – it has become a firm family favourite in our house).
(NB2: Again if you do have a look at the book I must warn you it is not very glossy as there are no pictures but it is a fascinating history of English recipes and every recipe I’ve tried from the book turns out great!)
-Mo
Entry Filed under: Food, Indoor Activities, Kitchen, Recipes, Tableware, Utensils
6 Comments Add your own
1. Esther | December 1st, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I LOVE Cox&Cox! And I LOVE your cookie cutters! I wish I lived next to you so I could borrow them on occasions!!
2. peggy | December 1st, 2009 at 6:31 pm
we just spent whole Sunday afternoon baking cookies…
Really cute to do this with my daughter!
And I definitely MUST have this snowflake cutter….so cool!
3. sekimachihato | December 2nd, 2009 at 5:45 am
i’m a new father to be and love reading this blog getting all excited (and nervous) about our new arrival.
here in hong kong cookie cutters are super cheap and i’m thinking to buy some.
any advise out there which i should be aware of when buying cutters? keep away from intricate shapes?
4. Courtney | December 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 am
We always use my trusty Sugar Cookie recipe… and they’re delicious!
http://babyccinokids.com/2007/12/25/sugar-cookies/
Though I’m not sure if they’re any easier than yours. This recipe sounds like a cinch!
5. Mo | December 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pm
No advise at all when buying cookie cutters – the more the merrier we say! I am often attracted to the sillier ones – I have my eye on a windmill (my Dutch heritage) and Big Ben at the moment.
But actually I would say the intricate shapes is one to watch – if the cutter is too fiddly then the cookie dough might not come out easily and if the cookie dough spreads a little in cooking then the intricate detailing would be lost.
Most cutters are metal so watch kids fingers on the sharp side, plastic ones with handles are easier for kids to work with.
Hope that heps – and enjoy!
6. sekimachihato | December 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 am
thanks mo for the reply and advise.
i doubt the cookie cutters here will be kid-friendly with plastic handles, but i’ll have a hunt around just in case.
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