Barefoot in My Kitchen

Welcome to the holiday season! Today marks the beginning of National Cookie Cutter Week. This tradition was started in the 1990’s by Paula Mullins. It was handed over to Lyn Linder in about 2007. There is even a museum in the Museum Complex in Joplin, MO. Each year a new cookie cutter is designed and release in honor of the special day.

National Cookie Cutter Week marks the beginning of the holiday baking season. Holiday baking is a tradition in many families, whether you make goodies requiring a cookie cutter or not. There are a number of types of cookie cutters. They include basic cutouts, those that also leave in imprint in the top of the cookies, cookie molds, and cookie presses. Cookie cutters are definitely not limited to the Christmas holiday, but are often most widely associated with this holiday.

There are a number of alternative uses for cookie cutters. Some ideas include using cookie cutters to shape other doughs, perhaps to add a special detail to the center of a pie or pie crust. You can cut sandwiches with cutout cookie cutters to make any meal or occasion special. Crafts can be fun with cookie cutters used to trace shapes and designs, or to be used as a stamp.

Now, how do you celebrate this holiday? Easy! You bake! Make some goodies to freeze and store for the upcoming holiday gatherings, or perhaps plan a cookie baking party or cookie exchange this week. Ok, many of us may not have time for, or even plan to bake this early in the month, but perhaps you could purchase a new special cookie cutter during this holiday week!

Some cookie cutter care and storage tips include to hand wash your cutters, not machine wash them. And never use bleach! Also, a little tip is to place them on a clean cookie sheet after washing and let them dry completely in a warm (not hot!) oven, perhaps after you are done baking and the oven is cooling down. This prevents rust damage during storage. Also, storing your cookie cutters in a sturdy, sealable container is best to prevent bending and damage.

In honor of the week, I will be posting some extra cookie cutter requiring recipes!  I can’t wait to start making goodies!

Happy baking!!

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cookie

Oh. My. Gosh. 

If you have even the slightest sweet tooth, you HAVE to pop over to Cupcakes In Jars on Etsy!  Or even better, check out my newest featured blog, TicTacDough, as they are having a giveaway where you can win your choice of item from Cupcakes in Jars!  I had added her button to my sidebar, so click it and check out this awesome giveaway!  She also has a post about how delicious these goodies are and a little interview with the woman behind Cupcaks in a Jar!

You won’t regret checking this out!  Yummm!!

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