Old And New Tools Of The Trade

We’ve turned the page on the calendar to December, and all the college football conference championship games have been played. (Go Bucks!) That means it’s time to start getting serious about holiday baking.

Part of the bake-prep process in the Webner household is going through my sprawling and ever-growing collection of cookie cutters to figure out which ones we’ll be using for the iced sugar cookies this year. It’s an assortment of old and new, some inherited from family members, some used for years, and some just recently added to the mix. These cookie cutters aren’t cookie-cutter!

I like trying new cookie cutters each year, just as I always like to experiment with a few new recipes. It helps to keep the process fresh and fun.

Cookie Cutters That Aren’t “Cookie Cutter”

Mom asked me to bake some more cookies that she could share with her guests, so yesterday was a baking day.  As I was figuring out a good assortment, I also had to consult our collection of cookie cutters to decide which cutouts to use.

Many of our cookie cutters have a distinctive Christmas orientation, but over the years we’ve inherited and acquired an eclectic collection — a grab bag of dogs, hearts, a gingerbread man, stars, a baseball mitt, and even the Statue of Liberty and the space shuttle.  They are variously made of tin, sturdy plastic, and a thin, highly bendable metal; some have handles and others don’t.  Predictably, I like the older, metal cutters that probably date back at least 50 years.

My favorite is the little Scottish terrier cut-out.  It requires a little care and patience to extricate the cookie; you need to gently put a butter knife through the handle and nudge the cookie dough out.  It’s worth it.  I’m confident that anyone who picks up a cookie in the shape of a little dog will have a smile on their face.