hi I set out this wkend after spending a ton of $ at Michaels on cookie making books/supplies with somewhere between 24-36 cookies of which at best 3 were keepers.

I have not yet tried the NFSC recipe, but hopefully that will produce better results.  My dough was too difficult to work with, would not even allow me to pick up the cut out dough, because it was too sticky!

I did not even try my newly purchased Wilton Cookie pan where you stick a stick in the dough to make a cookie on a stick.  Will that be easier or is it even harder?I never even got to the Rolled Buttercream icing, I have all the ingredients but never even got to ice my cookie diasters.

Should I switch to cupcakes? I did cake decorating many years ago and was pretty decent at it, but not interested in doing that any longer.

Any encouragment?  I just want to be able to make special cookies for friends and family on special occaisions like Bdays, bridal and baby shwrs.  Any cookie cutters I should get to fulfil these happy occaisions?Thank you.Newbie PK

Don't give up. You need to find a dough recipe that works for you, that's all. One trick that works when you're stuck with wimpy dough is to roll it out on the cookie sheet, cut the cookies, and then pull the excess off of the sheet, leaving just the cookies to go in the oven. If you're going to do it that way, you need several cookie sheets because it doesn't work to roll it out on a hot cookie sheet.

Hobby Lobby has neat cookie cutters...shoes, crowns, churches, baby stuff, etc...and they have them in several sizes.

I like to put marshmallow fondant on my cookies. If you do it when they're hot out of the oven (but off the cookie sheet), the heat will melt the fondant just enough to glue it to the cookie. I usually have some little fondant flowers in the freezer, and when I get in a cookie-baking mood, I get the little flowers out and stick them on my cookies. You can't stack them after that, but they're really neat looking.

I've never used the special pans for the cookie on a stick. I just roll the dough thick, cut my shape and put it on the sheet, then put my hand over the dough and slowly press the stick into the dough. The hand on it is so you can feel if the stick starts wanting to poke out the top.

We all started somewhere! Grab a coffee, take a load off and read this:

http://www.cakecentral.com/article54-How-To-Bake--Decorate-Cookies.html


There's no reason in the world you can't master the cookies, but everything takes practice. The NFSC is great (as are the rest of the recipes on www.kitchengifts.com ) because they are yummy and don't spread out of shape. I'd definitely recommend not trying to pick up the soft dough, use the freezer technique I explain in my article. Much easier!

I don't do cookies on sticks, so no advice there....but you might want to practice baking/piping regular cookies first and then graduating to those on sticks. Just a thought?

As for cutters, there are tons of sites out there...from plastic to stainless steel to fancier copper ones:

www.cookiecutter.com
www.kitchengifts.com
www.thelittlefoxfactory.com
http://stores.ecrandal.com/StoreFront.bok
www.coppergifts.com
www.simonscookiecutters.com
www.frankencutters.com
http://www.victortradingco.com/Cookie_Cutters.htm
http://www.goldaskitchen.com/m.....=40&step=3
www.krittersinthemailbox.com
www.globalsugarart.com
www.thecookiecuttershop.com
www.confectioneryhouse.com
www.downtowndough.com
http://www.grammascutters.com/
http://www.coppercutters.com/
http://www.thecoppercookiecutterstore.com/
http://www.cookiecutterfactory.com/
http://lacuisineus.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=39

Try the NFSC recipe and remember - (this is what worked for me) - Make sure to use COLD cookie dough and a HOT oven and COOL cookie sheets. Make sure that your cookie sheets are completely cooled off before you put more cookies on to bake. This reduces spreading.

You just have to practice. I used to say that I was cut-out cookie ignorant - Now I GET IT! beware - once you start you can't stop - no matter how bad you want to, everyone will keep asking for them!!!

good luck!!

I am also a fellow newbie in the cookie making world. I tried the cookie pans that you qre asking about.... It was so hard for me .. my cookies got stuck and I couldn't take them off without breaking them. Then I found out that you only let them cool for about 5 minutes and remove.

In short..IMHO cookie cutters are much easier then the Wilton shaped cookie pans. I sold mine at my Garage sale this past weekend.

Keep trying... dont' give up.. hang in there... I love the NFSC receipe and Antonia 74s Royal icing. My lines and flooding get better and better each time.

Of course I have a LONG way to go. but I am not SURRENDERING!!!!

I use a parchment liner whenever I bake cookies. Never any sticking. I use a Wilton sugar cookie recipe from a very old book of mine which I like because I don't have to chill it. I dust with flour, roll out the cookie dough, lift the cookies with a metal spatula. My kitchen is usually always cool so I probably would have to chill the dough if I lived in a really warm place. The recipe is similar to the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe that most like on CC. Try the parchment for baking and keep trying!!!! People will always want to eat the practice runs!

You can do it!!

My best advise for you is to follow Antonia 74's thread and advise -- that is what I did a little over a year ago and my first batch of cookies were great!! I'm not a perfectionist -- but the cookies are still cute!

Antonia is one the absolute best -- and there are several others here on CC that are also excellent!!

The No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe is exactly what it is titled -- you can't fail with it. I started with the rolled buttercream, but eventually went to Antonias icing and Tobas Glace for my icings - these are much easier to work with, store and bag plus you can get much more detail with them.

Good luck and post pics!

Suze

You got some great advice on this thread - nothing I can add to it. Just want to say - don't give up!! If you have an interest in this, which it sounds like you do, keep up the practice. Sounds like you have an creative side and are willing to learn. I'm looking forward to seeing your creations!

Luckily, we have this great forum to get answers on!

i agree with snowshoe-practice-i'm sure there's someone in your house or neighbourhood who will it the "failures". i swear by antonia's RI and just have a bit more patience (i hate waiting for the RI to dry) but it will be worth it in the end. maybe work with smaller batches and simple shapes to start as well...hth can't wait to see some cookie pics!

Don't be too discouraged. It sounds like the cookie recipe was the problem. Use the NFSC and follow the rolling directions. It needs to be well chilled to stop them spreading. This recipe really works. They need to be rolled thick to support a stick. I insert the stick when it comes out of the oven and is still soft. I get better results and my cookie sheet isn't full of sticks so I can bake more at a time.
I use either fondant or rolled buttercream, with royal accents.
Keep trying and don't forget to post pictures...

Here is the recipe I use with my students in my high school catering class...usually not one they can mess up. it is from wilton and I really like it...use parchment on your cookie sheets like suggested before. I do not chill this dough, but you could. remember no hot cookie sheets and don't roll it too thick or thin about 1/4 inch.
Sugar cookies- Wilton

            

1/2 butter            
1 cup sugar          
1 egg            
1 3/4 cups flour          
1 t. baking powder      
1 T. milk            
1/2 t. vanilla          
1/4 t. salt          

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and mix. Add remaining
ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate dough 2 hours. Roll dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
on lightly floured surface. Dip cutters into flour before each use. Place on ungreased
cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. place on cooling rack for a few
minutes. remove from sheet and cool. Makes 24-30 cookies

Do yourself a favor and take that cookie pan back to michaels. Spend the money you get back on cookie cutters. Don't give up. Its just so much fun. I just learned from all these people in february. Now I can make a pretty mean cookie bouquet if I do say so myself. Antonias article is excellent. And also go to www.karenscookies.net
She has a great tutorial also. Good luck

Thank ALL of you for your support, resources, expert ideas, and encouragement. I shall try, try, again and report back.

You are each special! Thank you.

I am sorry that you went and spent all that money first instead of nailing your recipes.

We all learn the hard way.

Baking is an addiction because you have to keep going testing and trying out day in day out until you find the recipes you are happy with.

Once you hit on a good recipe it's like hitting the jackpot. You might spend a lot of time and effort and money trying out recipes and tire of it too but once you put in the ground work first after it will be more about building customers and the decorating side of it I guess and probably that's when the really hard work and pressure begins.

A few months or years building up your recipes and skills is a small price for a long career!

Hang in there!

I am so glad I found this thread. I am going to make cookies this weekend

well let me just say that I'm still learning. I love to do cookie bouquets and they NORMALLY come out so nice. About a month ago I had a nice order for a baby shower. It was hot and humid and we're not air conditioned. Lesson learned. MMF and RI hate humidity. I finally got through them. But today I have an order for a birthday and its just a lovely day. Everything worked so nicely. So keep humidity in your mind.

PookiePoo, I don't have anything to add to the wonderful advice you already received. I was just wondering if you have had a chance to try again and whether you had better results.