Hi,

I'm brand new to cookie-making (and a hobbyist). My greatest challenge is getting the dough rolled out to a uniform thickness. I end up with cookies that are a little thicker on one side or some thicker and sone thinner. I use the NFSC recipe.

Also, I've noticed that my cookies bake unevenly (some are darker around the edges than others). That's more to do with my oven, right?

Thanks for your help!

If you want to roll out even and need help use dowels at each side of the dough and roll out till your rolling pin is resting on the dowels this will give you an even thickness. Hope you can understand what I am saying lol

I use a fondant rolling pin (made by Wilton) that has spacers on the ends. This will ensure that the dough is equal thickness. If you don't want to invest in this product, then place your dough between 2 dowels. Then place your rolling pin on the dowels to roll out your dough. As for the dough baking unevenly, this may be caused by uneven dough or hot spots in your oven.

I've read some ladies pick up paint mixers at the hardware store and stack 2 on each side (4 total) of the dough the with of the rolling pin, roll till you get to the sticks.

As for the baking I have a similar issue which I know is due to heat radiating off the sides of the baking sheet some prefer to use the flat sheets so this doesn't happen.

I use 2 dowels too!

agree with the dowels. If you want a slightly thicker cookie, use two wooden spoons (roll the rolling pin along the handles of the spoons).

Wooden dowels, right? I have the Wilton plastic ones but they are huge!

I use the wooden 1/4 inch ones.

I too use dowel sticks, I have 2 different sizes, one for normal cookies and one a bit thicker for cookie pops.

also, as soon as the cookies come out of the oven while they are still warm I use a metal spatula ( smooth on bottom with no gaps) to gently flatten my cookies, makes a better surface to ice on ! less icing flowing off the sides.

Another vote on dowels!!! I bought mine at the craft store. In the wood projects section. They are really long....but, just saw them in half and voila! Perfect guide.

I put wax paper down, a hunk of dough,dowels on either side of my dough, then another piece of wax paper..... I roll over the wax paper...helps to not stick. AND, to not add any extra flour to your dough.

I ice on the bottoms of my cookies - completely flat surface. Also...I think several CC'ers have mentioned the "double cut". This is especially helpful for me....because I use a traditional sugar cookie recipe. It raises and puffs up/out pretty good. So, when the tray comes out of the oven, I do a quick re-cut with the cutter I used & I have a nice crisp & clean cookie. Makes a big difference!

Oh - another note on the baking....my oven is a little funky...so, I keep a thermometer in there. An oven one.

It needs calibrated. My oven is off about 25 degrees. So - I adjust my temp accordingly. Maybe this is part of why your cookies are baking unevenly...

EvMarie, I'm also a back-of-the-cookie icer. Saw a bakery that did this when I was a kid and thought that was pretty genius. Took some to the mayor's office once and the women in the office asked why I did that, and I laughed and explained it made for easier icing! (psst! also a double cutter!)

Wow - I'm always floored by how much everyone shares on this site! I have learned so much from this one post!

Thanks everyone (please keep the tips coming if you feel like it

I love my DoBoard!

http://www.armchair.com/store/gourmet/baking/doughboard1.html

Well...Miss Indy - I think you were one of the posters on the "double cut" tip I got. And, I just love it. No offense against all the NFSC people - but I just gotta have my traditional sugar cookie. I can't give it up. So - the double cut is the solution. I lose a bit of dough...and $$$$$(dough) but, I like offering it.

Yup, this site is full of tips and tricks & just so fricken' helpful. It's great to have all this info to sift through. And, when your stumped....just post an S.O.S. Most times, somebody will have an idea...

It's a free education!

EvMarie: Save those trim jobs. They are great as "garnishes" on a dish of ice cream! Grandkids like them as "gramma's skinny cookie snacks"!

I put my raw cookies in the freezer before I bake them this ensures they don't move at all in the oven so no need to double cut. I personally love the look of the nice baked edge.

Montreal Confections - do you use a NFSC type recipe? Or, a traditional recipe? I thought to myself that I may be able to adjust my recipe so it doesn't puff out too much. But, I never got around to trying it altered. If I don't double cut....the design of the cookie cutter kinda gets lost.

I just "suck" at piping so, I normally add another "cut" of MMF/RBC combo for the initial layer of icing. It makes it super easy...cuz everything lines up. And, when I do pipe....the straight edge does wonders for me.

I must say your avatar is fab though. I can't imagine your cookies looking any better.

Oh - and Indy - - - who waits for ice cream???? Haaa ha! Shoot, my family eats the extras up as soon as I put them out! Nice perk for sure!

EvMarie I just checked out the NFSC recipe I do not use this I can't imagine a rolled cookie with 3 tsp of baking powder (my CAKE recipe only takes 2) they would inevitably get distorted. I use fondant all the time on cakes but prefer not to do so on my cookies, being familiar with it I certainly can understand how it would make life easier. For me using icing VS fondant boils down to my designs, I can achieve things with icing that would be impossible in fondant.

Wow, we learn some interesting stuff on here.

I don't double cut either as I also prefer the baked edge.

I only use 1 tsp of baking powder in my recipe. Plus it makes a difference on the temperature of the dough, if the dough is not cold when it goes in the oven, it loses shape. I find that if its cold, it holds almost perfectly.

Thanks for sharing everyone

For years I have used dowels for uniform thickness. I recently bought a rolling pin made by Joseph Joseph that has interchangeable discs on the ends. There are three different sizes and the discs screw into the ends. Since the discs are made of a hard material, they don't "give" like those rubber bands that slide onto the rolling pin. I love it! I also cut parchment paper a little larger than my cookie cutter and roll out each cookie individually onto it's own piece, then transfer it to my cookie sheet to bake.

I've seen the Joseph and Joseph pin at Karen's: http://www.karenscookies.net/Adjustable-Rolling-Pin_p_693.html

but she does warn that the indented logo may appear on fondant and gumpaste, but doesn't mark cookie dough at all.

I would love one of these for cookies!

Someone just told me yesterday about key stock, which I guess are flat thin pieces of metal that come in different thicknesses, like 1/8" or 1/4". It's my understanding you can get it at the hardware store but our local Lowe's doesn't carry it. Right now I use flat thin pieces of wood 1/4" thick but I do worry about them warping.

I use 1/4 inch wood slats that I got at the hardware store. They are perfect for rolling dough to an even thickness and they measure 24 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. I paid about $2 for them.

"Also, I've noticed that my cookies bake unevenly (some are darker around the edges than others). That's more to do with my oven, right?"

Do you use parchment paper? My bowning problems disappeared with parchment paper.

Double cutting cookies - What a simple but genious idea!! Never thought of it. One question. Are the edges ok, or are they more crumbly, rougher? Thanks for this great tip!!

Can someone explain or if you have a pic of how you use dowels for unifrom thickness?
Complete newbie to cookies!!!

Picture here:

http://accomplishedwoman.blogspot.com/2009/11/baking-sugar-cookies.html