*Updated 12/23/2016*

No flour, no mess, no apron, no stress! As I’ve been surfing around the web I’ve noticed lots of articles and photos showing people using cookie cutters the hard way. Why the hard way when there’s a much much easier way??? I’ll never forget the day that I learned how to correctly use cookie cutters! It was a truly joyous moment; like a thousand light bulbs going off in my brain at once 🙂 Some of you may already know the trick, but this blog post is for those who don’t, so read on, cookie lovers!

Step 1. It starts with fresh cookie dough. At this point, many folks would pop it in the fridge. DON’T DO THAT. Not yet anyway :0)

Step 2. Divide your dough and roll it out between two long pieces of parchment paper. You’ll want to make them long enough so the edges nearest you hang over the counter. Here’s why:

By rolling the dough out first, it’s easy because it’s at room temperature. I like to place two wooden rulers underneath my rolling pin on either side of the dough. They are the perfect thickness (1/8 inch) for rolling out the dough evenly. I lean up against the counter to hold the ends of the parchment paper in place while rolling the dough. Parchment paper can be slippery! (Kinda that point, but we’ll get to that later…) Repeat the process with the rest of the dough until it’s all rolled out.

Step 3.  Firmly press cookie cutters into the dough and wiggle them oh so slightly before gently lifting them out. If you find the dough is sticking and you have to press it out with your finger, spray your cutters with non-stick spray. That will help to release the dough. Make sure all the cookies you cut are over the baking sheet. Peel back and remove the excess dough around your shapes, leaving them untouched. Place the excess dough back into a bowl to be rolled out again.

Step 4. NOW refrigerate your cut raw cookies for at least 20 minutes. Pull them onto a baking sheet for easy transfer in and out of the fridge. Pre-heat your oven while you wait and cut more cookies on parchment paper. When thoroughly chilled remove and place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the cookies and paper right into a hot oven to bake to perfection! The parchment may get a little brown, but it won’t burn up in the oven.

Step 7. WAIT a couple minutes to let the cookies cool before removing them to cool completely. They’re still malleable when fresh out of the oven, so don’t jump the gun! The cookies will simply slip right off the parchment paper. It’s so great. Seriously great that we have parchment paper!  No flour, no mess, no apron, no stress!

*After filming this segment and baking up all this dough at home I subsequently realized I needed to cut the dough when it was fresh and still at room temperature, THEN refrigerate! (The instructions above have been corrected to reflect this.) The dough in this segment was very cold and you can see how stiff it is. Well, lesson learned. Every time I have a TV appearance I evaluate and see areas in which I can improve upon for the next time.

The 12 Essential Homesteading Kitchen Gadgets I can’t live without.

I know from personal experience you don’t need a gazillion kitchen tools getting in the way when just a few high-quality tools and small kitchen appliances will get the job done right! Here is my personal can’t-live-without small kitchen appliances list for anyone who wants to cook delicious food done right and preserve their hard work to be self-reliant!

• KitchenAid Diamond Vortex 5-Speed Blender The best bang for your buck when it comes to blenders. I’ve had mine for 7 years now!
• All-Clad D3 stainless steel professional grade saute pan I promise your food will taste better just using this pan!
• Wusthof Classic two-piece stainless steel chef’s knife prep set– Don’t waste money on a whole chef’s block of knives. You only need these two!
• OXO Good Grips 9-inch locking tongs
• Cuisinart FSP-13 Elemental Food processor– Dark are the days I lived without a food processor. They are blocked from my memory.
• Le Creuset Dutch oven– Price varies by color, so check all the colors for the cheapest price.
• KitchenAid Gourmet meat tenderizer mallet– I use this on all boneless chicken breast meat I buy at the store, they are just way too thick to cook evenly without being pounded.
• OXO Silicone spatula– Essential for stirring pan sauces and perfect scrambled eggs
• 10-inch copper nonstick frying pan Essential for cooking fish, eggs, shrimp or
• KitchenAid 5-quart stand mixer
• All American Pressure Canner 21 quart size starter kit

I hope this little info will be super helpful this holiday baking season and for many seasons to come. Teach your friends and spread the word. :0)