VeganMoFo 19: My Favorite Cookie Cutters!

Here is my disheveled pile of cookie cutters. Not too long ago, I actually went through and got rid of all the ones I never used or actually didn't like.

These cookie cutters are really enormous, though you can't necessarily tell that from this picture. Mr. VE&Ts got me the squirrel for my birthday one year. I think it's super cute, though I haven't yet used it, because it really is huge. I prefer smaller cookies, but I think it's cute that he picked this one out, because he prefers everything to be huge. Especially cookies. Along those lines, the guitar is a cookie cutter I made for him - because he is into guitars. It was originally a big cowboy hat-shaped cookie cutter, which i bought and re-shaped with a good pair of pliers. I've found that to be the easiest way to make my own shapes, because then I have the nice sharp edge and the rounded edge and all that business.

My favorite Christmas cookie cutters! Christmas is the best time for making roll-out cookies. I usually make a big mess of Gingerbread People for my Holiday Craft Party, and then let people decorate them as they please. I like the big gingerbread man, which I probably inherited from my mom, and the cool little swoopy xmas tree on the top left.

Circles! I love circle cookies, and I love shapes inside shapes. It makes cookie eating more fun. I love my new donut shaped cookie cutter (top left), and my big collection of circles on the right. But I really really love my special heart-in-the-middle cookie cutter on the bottom left. It even has a blue button you press once you get your cookie over the baking sheet, and then that blue circle oh-so-gently drops your cookie onto the sheet. I have to poke my finger through a little hole in the middle to pop out the tiny heart. I love the way the finished cookies from that cookie cutter turn out - with the scalloped edges and the friendly little heart.

Blame it on the fact that my dad is an astronomer, but I really love my astro-series. I love the rocket (really, who doesn't love rockets!?), the moon, and the different star shapes. I guess the four little ones aren't really astro-related, they're more like flowers... but either way, I really like them. I usually use them for decorating the top of holiday pie crusts.

Of course, every vegan needs some good animal-shaped cookie cutters. Yes, I have 3 different sizes of dog bone cookie cutters. I love the weiner dog, though those cookies tend to break easily. I just recently inherited the scottie dog, the bear, and the smiley fish from my grandparents' kitchen. Smiley fish is great!

I just purchased these today, and already they are deserving to be in my favorites list! I have long wanted such a thing, but hadn't ever seen them. Then I was at the party store, picking up a few basic baking supplies, when these caught my eye. LOVE THEM.

Here are some cookies from this afternoon - you can see I've already put my little alphabet cookie cutters to use. I've got two really special friends who are both seriously out of commission this week - both with names starting with "K" - so they are each getting a "get well" delivery of Chocolate Cinnamon Roll-out Cookies from Joy of Cooking. Cookies probably won't heal them, but at least they will know that someone loves them.

Some cookie cutter tips:

- Don't put all your cookie cutters in the dishwasher to clean them. I did that and now they all have little rusty bits. It was a bad idea. Even though it's a pain in the rear, carefully clean them by hand and dry them right away.

- Cookie cutters with long delicate parts might look nice, but they are a real pain. Case in point, that darned guitar cookie cutter. About half of the time, the guitar neck breaks off after I've baked the cookies.

- Cookie cutters make a great gift! Just a few cookie cutters, carefully selected, along with a dishtowel or a favorite recipe make a really thoughtful and inexpensive gift.