8/28/14

0 Cool Kitchen Tool: Stainless Steel Ruler


A ruler can be a necessisty when you need a straight line. 

Cutting sugar cookie dough, pie or bread dough can be tricky if you try to free hand a straight line.

I purchased a cheapie dollar plastic ruler and quickly found that the markings and numbers wash off.  I searched high and low over the internet for a ruler that would meet my baking requirements.

It had to be durable, made of stainless steel, be 18" long and NO cork backing.  Many of the rulers I found, after close inspection of the description, had a cork backing. 

I finally found THE RULER of my baking dreams!



Introducing the Empire Stainless Steel 18" Ruler!  You can find it on Amazon HERE.

It is currently $8.49, though the price can change any moment.  Add this cool kitchen tool to your baking collection!


8/23/14

0 Soft Sugar Cookie Tip: Keeping Their Shape!


I have a sugar cookie obsession.

Lately, I have been making a ton of these soft sugar cookies for family, friends, and neighbors.

Not only are they requesting cookies, they are asking if I can make a certain shape/color/design.  It has my creative juices flowing, and I thought I'd share with you what I have learned!

First, not every shape works with this soft sugar cookie dough.  Intricate shapes get lost during baking because of the leaving that causes it to puff, rise, and slightly spread.  Chilling the dough for at least an hour (overnight is best), helps keep the spreading under control.

I thought circles would be the EASIEST shape, but I noticed that some of the cookies were turning into ovals, or egg shapes.  Definitely NOT what I want.  Thanks to Google, and the experience of other bakers, this is what I've learned to do.

I love this tip of cutting 1/4" sugar cookies EVERY time.  It has saved me time and my cookies bake evenly and thoroughly every time. Roll out your cookie dough onto a Silpat, baking mat, or parchment paper.  It may help to have your counter slightly damp to keep your mat from sliding around. Transfer your rolled dough onto the back of a cookie sheet.

Why the back?  I use a convection oven and found that my cookies brown/bake more evenly.  It is the same concept as using a baking sheet without sides...


Using your cookie cutter, cut out the shapes desired, leaving at least 1/2" between cookies.


Lift the excess dough straight up, trying to avoid stretching and moving the cut cookies.


Put the cut cookies into the refrigerator for 30 min.


These steps help a lot towards a more perfectly shaped cookie!


Stay tuned for some more sugar cookie baking tips!

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