The Hack For Baking Cutout Cookies That Don't Lose Their Shape

You've amassed an impressive collection of cute and unique cookie-cutter shapes, but whenever you remove the heart- and star-shaped cookies from the oven, the baked pieces look nothing like the designs you had in mind. For moments when you need a more dependable baking method that results in perfectly-shaped cookie masterpieces, there's a better way to make cookies that can be posted to your Instagram feed with pride.  

You'll need cookie cutters made out of metal or oven-friendly materials for this easy culinary tip, as it involves leaving the cookie cutouts on top of the dough as the cookies bake in the oven (on an ungreased cookie sheet, of course). As fun and creative as some of the plastic cutout shapes might be, they would melt if you put them in the oven, so it's best to leave them for your next cookie-making attempt. 

As your favorite cookies bake, the shapes of each one will be held in place and confined to the heated shapes of the cookie cutouts. Upon removing your baked cookies from the oven, leave the cutouts in place as the cookies cool. Then, sprinkle on colorful decorations while the cookies are still outlined by the cutouts. This will help keep your powdered toppings and festive sprinkles concentrated and fixed in place on the surface of the cookie. If your recipe calls for toppings to be added to raw cookie dough before the cookies are baked, simply add any sprinkles and colored sugar before placing the tray into the oven, and your decorations will be contained by the cutters.

Though you'll need at least a dozen cookie cutters to use this technique, you're more likely to have aesthetically pleasing sugar cookies that match the outline of the shapes you envisioned. Your finished designs will be worthy of celebrating hard-earned job promotions, golden birthdays, and special anniversaries.