....from tearing after you used a cookie cutter and trying to get to the cookie sheet. My cutout dough always tears! What am I doing wrong? Do I need to put the cutout dough in the freezer first, before I transfer them to the cookie shee to bake?

I've never had a problem with the dough tearing, but I can imagine it must be pretty frustrating! I would recommend rolling the dough out on parchment paper, cutting your shapes, removing the excess dough, then transferring the entire sheet to the cookie sheet. You'll just have to make sure when you cut out the shapes that you leave enough room between the cookies for them to spread a bit during baking.

I roll my dough out on floured parchment paper and do my cutouts. I pull alway the "Excess" dough from between the cutouts and then slide the parchment paper with the cutouts onto a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about 5 mins (or until i have the next one ready) I take them out and peel them off the parchment paper. Then i layer them between waxpaper in a tupperware container and put in the freezer until i'm ready to bake. I like to bake from the frozen state anyways, it helps keep my shapes better.

I too, roll on parchment, but i also freeze on parchment, so i just pick up the frozen cookies with the parchment and place on the cookie sheet to bake.

I usually cut it out then throw it in the freezer for 5min then tear out the cookies. They leave a MUCH cleaner line around the cookie.

Thanks everyone! I will definitely try your ideas!

I roll cookie dough between a folded over piece of wax paper. When I take the cut out from the paper to move to the tray, I just slide the wax paper to the edge of the counter, peel it back and let the cutout kind of fall onto my hand, then place it on parchment paper on the baking tray.

I roll out my dough in between two pieces of waxed paper right after I mix the dough. I put my rolled out "sheets" of dough in the fridge on a cookie sheet. After a few hours, I go back and take the sheets out one by one and cut my shapes. They come up so easily! If you don't want to do that, you could also use a small spatula to get your cookies up. I did that before I switch to my current method. But I love this method because you don't have to use all the messy flour!