Great-Shape Cookies
Submitted by shanelusk
Shape-holding cutout cookies with almond and vanilla extract that keep every detail from imprinted cookie cutters. Soft, flavorful, and ideal for royal icing.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
9 hrsThese cutout cookies are designed for one thing: holding their shape. The dough bakes at a low temperature and keeps every crimp, curve, and imprint from your cookie cutters intact. If you’ve ever watched detailed cookies puff up and lose their features in the oven, this recipe fixes that problem.
The combination of vanilla and almond extract gives these a fragrance and depth that plain vanilla cookies lack. Kneading the last quarter cup of flour in by hand after mixing creates a firmer dough that rolls cleanly and cuts without sticking. A long overnight chill (or a couple hours in the freezer) firms the butter so the shapes hold during baking.
They bake soft but not fragile, which makes them ideal for decorating with thin royal icing. The low oven keeps them pale, giving you a clean canvas for icing colors.
Pro Tips
- Chill the dough overnight for best results. Shortcutting the chill means softer dough that spreads and loses detail.
- Flour your rolling surface, cutters, and rolling pin generously. This dough is soft and needs that extra flour to release cleanly.
- Roll to exactly ¼ inch thick. Thicker cookies puff and lose imprint details; thinner ones crisp too much.
- Bake at 300°F (150°C), not higher. The low temperature is what prevents spreading and shape loss.
Variations
- Replace almond extract with lemon extract for a citrusy flavor.
- Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for chocolate cutouts.
- Sandwich two cookies together with jam or buttercream for filled cookie sandwiches.
Ingredients
Directions
CHILL DOUGH SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT: Could put the dough in the freezer to chill, if in a hurry, for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease cookie sheet (only ONCE). No need to grease it each time.
Add ingredients together, saving out the ¼ cup of flour. Knead the ¼ cup flour into the dough now, chill.
Roll out, using flour on surface, cutters and rolling pin, generously. Try to get more flour on tiny places.
This is a great recipe for the creased cookie cutters, because it is delicious and dough does not lose its shape.
For this type of cutter, roll to about ¼ inch thickness, so dough is just thick enough to leave the cutter imprints.
Ordinarily, roll dough to ¼ inch thickness for best results. Any cookie will lose detail and shape when it is too thick.
This cookie is good iced with thin royal icing. Cookie stays soft, but is not terribly fragile.
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