On Nov 30, 11:37*pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
> I am a cookie champion. *People kill for cookies I've baked. *Okay. That's a
> slight exaggeration but I've never had a leftover. However . . . my attempts
> with cookies that should be rolled out and cut? No success. Are there some
> technical tricks or something Moma taught you that I've missed? I do have a
> nice slab of marble and I could put it in the freezer for a while if *cold
> surface would help. *Maybe I need a better weapon to slide the cut cookies
> to the cookie sheet. *I always wind up with what looks like ragged pasta.
> What am I missing? *Polly

It sounds like your dough is getting to warm by the time you're ready
to put the cookies on the cookie sheet. Instead of using a spatula to
transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, I just pick them up with my
fingers and transfer them. Another thing to try is to roll the dough
directly on to the cookie sheet. You'll have to experiment with how
much of the dough you need to use so it's the proper thickness. Next,
cut out the shapes you want and simply remove the excess dough. You
won't have to worry about getting the cookies on the pan because
they'll already be on the pan. This is a good way to do it if the
shape is intricate and tends to break easily if handled too much.

wrote:
> On Nov 30, 11:37 pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
>> I am a cookie champion. People kill for cookies I've baked. Okay.
>> That's a slight exaggeration but I've never had a leftover. However
>> . . . my attempts with cookies that should be rolled out and cut? No
>> success. Are there some technical tricks or something Moma taught
>> you that I've missed? I do have a nice slab of marble and I could
>> put it in the freezer for a while if cold surface would help. Maybe
>> I need a better weapon to slide the cut cookies to the cookie sheet.
>> I always wind up with what looks like ragged pasta. What am I
>> missing? Polly
>
> It sounds like your dough is getting to warm by the time you're ready
> to put the cookies on the cookie sheet. Instead of using a spatula to
> transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, I just pick them up with my
> fingers and transfer them. Another thing to try is to roll the dough
> directly on to the cookie sheet. You'll have to experiment with how
> much of the dough you need to use so it's the proper thickness. Next,
> cut out the shapes you want and simply remove the excess dough. You
> won't have to worry about getting the cookies on the pan because
> they'll already be on the pan. This is a good way to do it if the
> shape is intricate and tends to break easily if handled too much.

I usually pick them up with my fingers too unless they are super thin. I
made some kind of Moravian "cakes". I want to say they were Scotch cakes
but that might be wrong. At any rate they were made with molasses and
rolled almost paper thin. Then covered with sugar. I discovered that they
had to be cut into very tiny shapes and lifted with a thin spatula or they
would just rip. The end result was soooo good though. They would just melt
on your tongue.

On 12/1/2012 3:01 AM, wrote:
What am I missing? Polly
>
> It sounds like your dough is getting to warm by the time you're ready
> to put the cookies on the cookie sheet. Instead of using a spatula to
> transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, I just pick them up with my
> fingers and transfer them. Another thing to try is to roll the dough
> directly on to the cookie sheet. You'll have to experiment with how
> much of the dough you need to use so it's the proper thickness. Next,
> cut out the shapes you want and simply remove the excess dough. You
> won't have to worry about getting the cookies on the pan because
> they'll already be on the pan. This is a good way to do it if the
> shape is intricate and tends to break easily if handled too much.
>
I roll the (well-chilled) dough out on parchment paper, then cut and
remove the excess dough. The paper can then easily be transferred to the
baking sheet.

On 12/1/12 9:09 AM, S Viemeister wrote:

> I roll the (well-chilled) dough out on parchment paper, then cut and
> remove the excess dough. The paper can then easily be transferred to the
> baking sheet.


That's what we do too -- the most foolproof method by far.

-- Larry

On Dec 1, 9:09*am, S Viemeister > wrote:
> On 12/1/2012 3:01 AM, wrote:
> What am I missing? *Polly
>
> > It sounds like your dough is getting to warm by the time you're ready
> > to put the cookies on the cookie sheet. *Instead of using a spatula to
> > transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, I just pick them up with my
> > fingers and transfer them. *Another thing to try is to roll the dough
> > directly on to the cookie sheet. *You'll have to experiment with how
> > much of the dough you need to use so it's the proper thickness. *Next,
> > cut out the shapes you want and simply remove the excess dough. *You
> > won't have to worry about getting the cookies on the pan because
> > they'll already be on the pan. *This is a good way to do it if *the
> > shape is intricate and tends to break easily if handled too much.
>
> I roll the (well-chilled) dough out on parchment paper, then cut and
> remove the excess dough. The paper can then easily be transferred to the
> baking sheet.

I actually almost put that bit of advice in there but I deleted it at
the last moment.

On 12/1/2012 3:01 AM, wrote:
> On Nov 30, 11:37 pm, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
>> I am a cookie champion. People kill for cookies I've baked. Okay. That's a
>> slight exaggeration but I've never had a leftover. However . . . my attempts
>> with cookies that should be rolled out and cut? No success. Are there some
>> technical tricks or something Moma taught you that I've missed? I do have a
>> nice slab of marble and I could put it in the freezer for a while if cold
>> surface would help. Maybe I need a better weapon to slide the cut cookies
>> to the cookie sheet. I always wind up with what looks like ragged pasta.
>> What am I missing? Polly
>
> It sounds like your dough is getting to warm by the time you're ready
> to put the cookies on the cookie sheet. Instead of using a spatula to
> transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet, I just pick them up with my
> fingers and transfer them. Another thing to try is to roll the dough
> directly on to the cookie sheet. You'll have to experiment with how
> much of the dough you need to use so it's the proper thickness. Next,
> cut out the shapes you want and simply remove the excess dough. You
> won't have to worry about getting the cookies on the pan because
> they'll already be on the pan. This is a good way to do it if the
> shape is intricate and tends to break easily if handled too much.
>
That sounds like very sensible advice, and I'm not a cookie baker
Perhaps along with chilling the marble for rolling out the cookies, the
dough should be chilled. But I like your idea of placing the dough
directly on the baking sheet.

Again, I'm not a cookie baker. Still, I do wish my mom had kept the
"holiday" cookie cutters she used to have. There was a cutter for a
turkey shape (not the cooked version, a gobbler with feathers!). A
cookie cutter. Of course Christmas tree, etc. It would be fun if she'd
kept those... then I might think about baking cookies.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
>
> Again, I'm not a cookie baker. Still, I do wish my mom had kept the
> "holiday" cookie cutters she used to have. There was a cutter for a
> turkey shape (not the cooked version, a gobbler with feathers!). A
> cookie cutter. Of course Christmas tree, etc. It would be fun if she'd
> kept those... then I might think about baking cookies.

I've still got a big selection of cookie cutters. I used them when I was
"room mother" for my daughter's classes in elementary school. (Grades 3-6)

I haven't made cookies in 20 years, but those plain sugar cookies were kind
of good. I might just make a batch this month....for old times sake, and for
the sake of more worthless food for me to snack on at night. heheh

Gary

On 12/1/2012 10:49 AM, Gary wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> Again, I'm not a cookie baker. Still, I do wish my mom had kept the
>> "holiday" cookie cutters she used to have. There was a cutter for a
>> turkey shape (not the cooked version, a gobbler with feathers!). A
>> cookie cutter. Of course Christmas tree, etc. It would be fun if she'd
>> kept those... then I might think about baking cookies.
>
> I've still got a big selection of cookie cutters. I used them when I was
> "room mother" for my daughter's classes in elementary school. (Grades 3-6)
>
> I haven't made cookies in 20 years, but those plain sugar cookies were kind
> of good. I might just make a batch this month....for old times sake, and for
> the sake of more worthless food for me to snack on at night. heheh
>
> Gary
>
I think it was probably sugar cookie dough when Mom used the cookie
cutters. After they were baked she also frosted the cookies. I
remember her making butter cream frosting and buying food colouring to
tint the frosting. There were paper cut-outs to place over the frosted
cookies for adding sprinkles in shapes. That was a *long* time ago.

Jill