The word cookie comes from the Dutch word “koekje” meaning “little cake”. Cookies originated in Persia in the 7th century A.D. Persia, which is now modern-day Iran, was one of the first countries to grow and harvest sugar.
Today cookies are a beloved treat the world over, with every region and culture having its own variation of different types of cookies to offer. In the U.S., an estimated 2 billion cookies are eaten each year.
Customized cookies are a great way to make your next event more memorable. They also make terrific gifts for your friends and loved ones. If you want to know more about creating custom cookies, keep reading this guide for more cookie ideas and decorating tips below.
Always Make Your Dough Thicker
For cut-out cookies especially, you need to maintain a dough thickness of at least ¼ of an inch. If your dough is any thinner, your cut-out customized cookies will flatten and spread out too much during the baking process and lose their shape.
Don’t skimp on the dough you use for each cookie or roll them out too thinly to save dough. Proper dough thickness will keep your customized cookies looking their best and give you a more uniform design and style.
Freeze Your Cut-Out Cookies for 5 Minutes
While you’re in the process of making your customized cookies at home, your dough will get warm sitting in a room with a hot oven going. When your dough is too warm, it will also start to expand in the same way it would inside the oven.
Placing your cut-out cookie dough in the freezer for 5 minutes before you put it into the oven will help firm up the dough. It will bake more evenly and retain its original shape.
You Can Use Holiday Cookie Cutters for Other Customized Cookies
You may have a whole drawer or cabinet full of custom-shaped cookie cutters for making customized cookies of all shapes and sizes for different occasions. But did you know that you can use these cookie cutters to make other fun and interesting designs too?
For some cookie cutters, just turning them upside down can give you a whole new custom cookie look. When decorated a certain way, they will resemble something in a creative new shape.
Use a star cookie cutter to create Santa ninja-style throwing star cookies. Make colorful right-side-up rosebud cookies with an upside-down acorn-shaped cookie cutter. With a little imagination, your customized cookies can take on a new life using the existing cookie cutters you already have.
Make Your Own Cookie Cutters with Aluminum Foil
If you really want a unique design for your customized cookies but don’t have a cookie cutter on hand that fits your vision, then you can make one with aluminum foil. Fold a long sheet of aluminum foil horizontally in ½ inch segments until you have a long thick strip. Then, bend and flex this aluminum foil strip into your desired shape and tape or staple it.
You can also use an aluminum foil baking tray or plates to cut out your desired cookie cutter designs. Trace the designs onto the pan or plates first before you start cutting. You can either fold the design together and tape or staple it together or cut out long strips for your design, bending it to the desired shape and securing it with tape or staples.
Ensure You Have the Proper Amount of Colored Icing for Decorating
Running out of frosting mid-decorating can be frustrating. Err on the side of caution and mix up extra frosting in its needed colors ahead of time.
Decorating your cookies in Royal Icing can be especially temperamental. It darkens as it dries and hardens. Having extra frosting is always better than not having enough so your customized cookies look consistent.
Doing this can save you the unnecessary headache of having to come up with another batch of icing in the precise color you’ve already used. This also allows it to blend in with the other cookies giving them the look of more professional cookies.
With 95.2% of households in the U.S. consuming cookies, you need every trick in the book at your disposal to make your cookies the best on the block.
Stack and Layer Your Cookies For a Multi-Dimensional Effect
Customized cookies don’t have to be boring. You can use multiple cookies to create distinct shapes and three-dimensional designs. Use alternating flower cookies to make leaves and petals bloom from different levels and angles.
Give your customized cookies more depth with frosted stacked cookies. Put flavored fillings between each layer like mini cakes. You can even use this method to make stacked surprise piñata cookies with a candy center for a fun take on holiday cookies.
Use Stencils for Cookie Customization
Trying to get a consistent design on your customized cookies can be a challenge if you’re attempting to do it freehand. Stencils can be your new best friend. They allow you to have a more even design on your cookies.
You may think you’re cheating by taking a shortcut but the truth is, a baker must rely on many tools of the trade to create beautiful and tasty works of art in cookie form. They may almost look too good to eat.
You can paint your designs on with edible cookie ink or by using an airbrush for an even bigger wow factor.
Use Edible Food Markers for Finer Details
For accents and outlines, edible food markers are great for adding small and intricate details to your customized cookies. They work just like normal markers except the ink inside is safe to eat.
Edible food markers come in a variety of colors so you can use a palette of rainbow hues to decorate your cookies. They also work well for writing words.
Find More Amazing Cookie Options at Batch Cookie Shop
Customized cookies can elevate your occasions in so many ways. From themed holiday parties to birthdays and weddings, cookies are a universally adored treat that people of all ages enjoy. For the best-looking and tasting professional cookies go to Batch Cookie Shop.
Batch Cookie Shop in Gilbert, AZ has delicious and fun festive cookie options available in-store or online for delivery. We have new cookie recipes and designs featured each week from seasonal favorites to innovative cookie ideas from our family to yours.
Order your cookies from Batch Cookie Shop today and make your next event truly one to remember.