The second after that last bite of pumpkin pie signals that it’s officially time for the December holidays. Growing up, I celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah — so without a doubt, my childhood fridge was filled with cookies and treats of all kinds. Back when my husband and I were just dating, I figured that similar treats would be a great gift for both sides of the family. Not only are holiday cookies fun to make, but — after making sure nobody’s allergic to the ingredients — they’re a great way to tell a significant other’s family members that you appreciate spending the day with them.
As the years progressed, I found myself having less time to bake. Usually, my husband and I create one cookie from scratch — a fantastic chocolate chip cookie that my father always requests year after year — and then fill the cookie tray with an assortment of others baked from a mix. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with store-bought batter mix, it admittedly takes some of the fun out of baking.
This year, I’m raising a one-and-a-half-year-old, which means two things. Not only do I need to up my cookie game, but I also have someone new to share the experience with. While my daughter Charlotte couldn’t fully partake in the all the steps just yet, I found a tool I thought she’d like that would make my cookies a little more fun and personal. It’s not a standard cookie cutter, but it functions in many of the same ways.
It’s called the Cookie Stamper, and it’s a fun way to add a message to my baked goods. You can buy it here.
So Yummy
I decided to try it out with a recipe for sugar cookies that I found on Sally’s Baking Addiction. While Sally also made a delicious-looking frosting, I opted for simple sprinkles to make my cookies shine, and to highlight the Cookie Stamper.
The good thing about Sally’s recipe is that it included a lot of items I already had in the house.
All in all, it took about 15 minutes to whip everything up. The recipe requires chilling, so I put my two sheets of cookie dough in the fridge overnight. Let me be the first to admit that I’ve never had much success with cookie cutters of any kind, and uh — turns out it’s because I never bothered to chill the dough before. I was simply too impatient.
The next afternoon, Charlotte and I got to work. I tried to think up a good message for my cookies that everyone could agree with, and simply thought of “2019!” With a star in the middle, as a star was available and hey, why not? To add some variety, I also made some circular cookies and snowflake cookies. ‘Tis the season to go shape crazy.
During the process, Charlotte, like a majority of dessert fans, tried to sneak in some raw cookie dough. As I, myself, had sampled some during the first night of prep, I knew a tiny bit would probably be okay. But that didn’t stop me from googling, because I’m a paranoid parent.
For the record, yes — you’ll probably want to keep your toddler away based on uncooked eggs, but they’ll likely eat far worse in their lives. Toddlers are reckless. Still, she proved a point. If you’re looking for a tasty sugar cookie recipe, this one’s really hard to resist.
The design itself came out slightly different depending on the thickness of the dough. But, without a doubt, it shows up. And it’s pretty darn cool.
I even tried to emphasize the “2019!” with some chocolate sprinkles after they baked. It worked, and added a bit of flair, but I should have thought about it more ahead of time. Turns out, my “stuffing sprinkles into warm cookie crevices” skills could use a little improvement.
The Cookie Stamper isn’t just for the holidays. Have a sorority meeting, and want to whip up something fun? Use the stamp! Want to advertise your local business? Why not put the name of it on the stamp? Want to make cookies and make sure your sneaky siblings don’t eat them? That’s right — stamp your monicker on those things.
All in all, the Cookie Stamper was a great way to add a little bit of variety to my holiday cookies. And if you have kids, it’s a great way for them to be able to put a personalized spin on the cookies that they’ve baked. The opportunities to create funny cookies are endless with this thing — and even though it comes with a good chunk of letters (and symbols, like my star!), reusing letters for a second stamp is always an option.
Want a Cookie Stamper for yourself? Well, you’re in luck. You can buy one here for just $14.99.
