Things bakers know: The secret to cut-out cookies that hold their shape
It’s all about the roll and freeze.
There’s nothing I love more than learning some simple trick that makes a task easier.
I have always made my dough for butter cookies, gingerbread, and other cut-out cookies well in advance of holiday baking, tightly wrapping the disks of dough in plastic wrap and stashing them in the freezer until I was ready to bake and decorate.
And while do-ahead is a great practice for busy bakers, I never remembered to pull those rock-hard dough blocks from the freezer far enough in advance that they’d have time to thaw properly. Many were the years that I found myself pounding on a semi-frozen brick of gingerbread dough with a rolling pin, my impatient children looking on.
And then, of course, there’s the other problem: If you’re trying to make nice, clean cut-out cookies (using your favorite holiday cookie cutters, of course), the temperature of the dough matters. By the time it’s soft enough to roll easily, it’s often so sticky that when you attempt to lift a gingerbread person off the work surface it loses a limb.
So here’s the trick I recently learned: Right after you’ve mixed up your batch of butter cookie or gingerbread dough (or these chocolate cut-outs, eggnog cookies, or spice cookies), immediately plunk it onto a sheet of parchment paper. (If you have a large quantity of dough, divide it between a few sheets of parchment.) Top with a second sheet of parchment, then roll the dough to the specified thickness. (This special rolling pin can help get it even.) Pull off the top sheet of parchment, then slide the sheet of dough onto a baking sheet, then pop it in the freezer. (You can stack as many sheets of dough onto one baking sheet as you’d like.)
If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there’s no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing. The dough can hang out in the freezer for weeks; when you’re ready to bake your cookies, remove as many sheets of dough from the freezer as you’d like, let the dough stand at room temperature for five minutes, then use your favorite cutters to stamp out cookies; they’ll be easy to cut, will hold their shape, and won’t stick. Plus, your well-chilled cookies are less likely to spread in the oven while they bake. It’s a (minor) holiday miracle.
Ready to decorate your cookies? Learn our favorite decorating techniques.
Cover photograph (Gingerbread Cookies) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
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December 23, 2024 at 5:33pm
That's what makes the Holidays Dessert menu Come to Life. I think back when My Grandma Ott made pink rice, 20 different kinds of homemade different shaped perfectly different cookies from oatmeal raisin, to down Home peanut butter. As The years Have gone by I've become quite a good baker and ALL round food Maker That when I set a table, it's on. It's funny how quickly we ALL turn into our parents and grandparents. Oh WOW I thought Now I'm The Senior citizen. So believe me I actually like the years As younger family members and friends, parents Even get together and aha, We are breaking in the newbies. Especially baked goods. Most special of ALL The homemade Christmas cookies. It Took Me a minute Or maybe 2 or 3 til I got the senior citizens of my growing up clan a decent homemade cookie That wasn't burnt on the one side. The ones that fell To pieces Just because it Was looked at and New someones hand Was gonna grab it. I had started feeling that empty nesters heart but, then I just said slow down there sexy granny, it's Ur turn to judge Over different relatives, parents still enjoying and friends bringing their newbies Christmas cookies too todays Christmas givings. I started out with baked goods That should have NEVER been brought out in any public or private Holiday dinner. My grams on My dad's side were pure German speaking Germans. The One that made the Best pies and cakes and desserts didn't speak a lick of English but I tell you what, when she would go to window ledge where she'd put her pies to cool and find pretty much every time a whole pie missing when she started bitchin you could pretty much understand what Was coming out of Her mouth. It Was usually My dad or his friends who snaked that first pie. I didn't even like or really eat pie but after a forkful of mammies German Apple pie, ohh, my mouth is watering just telling you about it. My Moms, Mom grandma Engle never did the baking thing unless you wanted the real deal homemade baked Mac and cheese, to this day no one has come close but I do think mine Is. And it's very strange but no one, no one, no one, made Me buttered cinnamon toast like Grandma Engle. My mom's parents kinda of doted on Me But not enough to put my older sister or younger sisters notice. I Was a VERY NEVER stop moving Or thinking or doing toddler to an 8yr old to a teenager, adult and NOW hyper As when I Was 2, 59 Year old. Sorry people I get easily off track and then I'm ground hit running into something totally different. Enjoy each AND every year You get with family, friends, That One True Love and think alright NOW it's My turn to twerk the. Newbies homemade Christmas cookies. Instead of being sad knowing that ALL most everyone Who you had to put ur food in front of for judgement NOW be something you get to look forward too. If you're totally just You well, meet ur neighbors walk down to the park, join in on activities for kids at the park to early Saturday and Sunday little league baseball games. Get To know people and without chasing them off like "The Rambler" part Of Me does ALOT just let them get to know you. Trust me family or not communities Who get To understand well someone eccentric Like myself, you won't ever feel alone even when u Are. I'm sorry people But enjoy ur Older turning into some unexpected times cause my daughter always has said Mom there is NEVER a dull moment when me, or me and my friends, Are around u. I make some of the best Christmas cookie cutter cookies That you seriously Have too have someone take them away from you or have to check ur blood sugar. I know Now Who has what kind of ailments or diabetic stage that I know exactly how MUCH to not put in their Christmas goodies box.
November 9, 2024 at 3:21pm
This is a great idea, and one I have never thought of before. My cookies are always misshaped slightly after trying to lift them when using a cookie cutter. Please tell me, can I use this pop into the fridge/freezer method for sugar cookies and shortbread cookies too?
November 16, 2024 at 10:48am
In reply to This is a great idea, and… by Tanya (not verified)
Hi Tanya, sure, if you're planning to roll and cut out your sugar cookies or shortbread cookies, this method should work equally well.
October 7, 2024 at 9:34pm
Questions: So, do you bake the cookies while they are still somewhat frozen?
October 8, 2024 at 11:52am
In reply to Questions: So, do you bake… by Dawn (not verified)
You certainly can, Dawn! Baking cookies from somewhat frozen can reduce the spreading out in the oven and makes for a taller cookie. This maybe adds an extra 30 seconds to a minute to the bake time. Happy baking!
September 8, 2024 at 10:55pm
Being the amateur I am, my dough was way sticky and g’bread men didn’t transfer to cookie sheet looking anything like when they were cut out! (LOUD LAUGHTER!) Anyhow, with
my next batch, I’ll e sure to freeze it as per your suggestion. I’m trusting that experience
won’t b the disaster this one turned out to be! Thank, much, for your expertise!
December 23, 2024 at 4:23pm
In reply to Being the amateur I am, my… by Joe Hartness (not verified)
There's sometimes nothing better for AAn old seasoned baker to get to get a piece of their varsity years by being able to take a bite of a newbies Christmas cookies. No matter gingerbread, sugar, cut cookies. It's actually soothing to be in on a friend or family members baked goods cause You NEVER know what u're going to be looking At, tasting or maybe spitting out or enjoying More cause there's to much something and not enough something else. Cookies that crumble to pieces and all I Did Was look at which one I was wanting to snag up. Yes there's the times when you want a Martha Stewart presentation and then their are the times that you just want 5 enjoy picking on whoever brought that certain cookie and damn sloppy but Still good or sloppy and tastes As BAD As it looks. This is what's so special about holidays AND dinners and get together soon. We have Now become the Senior citizens and that is when we get our FIRST time to give advice on how Not To make ur dish or cookie Like That again. It's like damn when the dog even turns her nose up, Houston We Have A Problem. HAHAHAHA
September 8, 2024 at 10:46pm
Being the amateur I am, my dough was way sticky-side I didn’t freeze it, chilling for four hour prior. Surely, I’ll freeze next batch, as per your advice! Thanks, so much!
December 26, 2023 at 9:51am
First of all, I’m not a professional. Cookies made are for family and friends to eat.
I found a dough recipe that uses softened cream cheese as well as butter and for some reason that seems to do the trick for me. The cut outs hold their shape nicely and while they swell a little, they don’t hardly spread. Game changer
December 31, 2023 at 11:34am
In reply to First of all, I’m not a… by Andrea (not verified)
It could be due to the lower fat content of the cream cheese, Andrea. Thanks for the great tip, we'll have to try it out asap!