Can you use cookie cutters on sticky dough?
I am a baking novice trying to make these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I'm trying to get them to be cute shapes with cookie cutters but the cookies keep spreading. I am wondering if maybe this type of dough is just too wet and sticky to hold a shape. Should I give up trying to shape these cookies?
Best Answer
That looks like a delicious recipe, but not one that will hold a cookie cutter shape. When a recipe says to space the balls of cookie dough four inches apart, you can expect them to spread in the oven. Cookies that spread will not hold a definable shape. There's no hope of getting this recipe to make cookies that hold a shape.
There are oatmeal cookie recipes designed to be rolled out and cut into shapes. For example, Chewy Oatmeal Decorating Cookies and Oatmeal Rollout Cookies. You might be able to add miniature chocolate chips, but they may make the cookies crack and fall apart. Finely chopped or grated chocolate would probably work fine.
If you feel like experimenting (and are willing to risk having some "failed"* batches of cookies), you can experiment with increasing the oats in your recipe. I haven't made this exact recipe, but I've made many batches of oatmeal cookies with varying levels of oats. I've found that you can use up to double the oatmeal called for in a typical oatmeal cookie recipe before the dough becomes too dry to hold together. Additional oatmeal gives a stiffer, dryer dough that will come closer to holding a shape. The finished cookies will be a bit dryer and a bit less sweet. The large oat flakes in your recipe (since it uses old fashioned oats) will still give the shapes slightly irregular outlines, so don't expect to get a lot of detail. But simple shapes like a heart, star or diamond should still be identifiable in the finished cookie.
*Where "failed" means not perfect, but your kids/coworkers/classmates will still eat them. If you are the only one eating your cookies, baking experiments can be hazardous to your waistline.
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How do you use cookie cutters with sticky dough?
Be sure to dip your cookie cutters in flour each time before pressing them into the dough to minimize sticking. If you have cookie cutters with small nooks and crannies, use a chopstick to gently push out the dough that is getting stuck in the small spaces.Is it okay if my cookie dough is sticky?
Baking sticky cookie dough will almost always end up badly. Baking sticky cookie dough will only lead to cookies that come out too flat and crispy. These are often greasy due to a lack of dry ingredients to absorb the butter and eggs and may even burn, meaning that they can't be eaten.Can you use cookie cutters on any dough?
Although you can use cookie cutters with any type of cookie dough, you'll get the best results by choosing the right type of dough for your project. For more intricate, decorative cutout cookies, our Test Kitchen recommends using a sturdy dough like the one in our recipe for Santa's Elf Cookies.How do you make cookie dough not stick to the cutter?
Use non-stick cooking spray. Spray your counter top, rolling pin, hands and cookie cutters with non-stick spray. This will keep the dough from sticking and will keep all of your surfaces clean without having to sprinkle more flour on the dough.The BEST Way to Roll Out Cookie Dough
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