Cookie cut out recipes start with great cookie cutter shapes. What are your favorites? I always liked the stars and Christmas trees for the holiday season. I’ve seen some Scottish Terrier dog cookie cutters that are adorable, and there’s always an angel. Cookie cutters put a lot of extra fun into making cookies. When you’re making sugar cookies or Christmas cookies with your children, letting them choose the shapes let’s them feel like they’re in charge of something. Here are a few cookie cutters to help fill your cabinet. Don’t get stuck in the same old boring rut- branch out and fine some fun new cookie cutters.

Do you prefer plastic cookie cutters or metal ones? I don’t know about you, but I like to press my cookie cutters into flour first, so that the dough doesn’t stick to them. It makes for a quick press out.

Cookie cut out recipes are a great way to spend time with the kids. You don’t have to be an expert decorator. If you have small children, why not just use colored sugar or sprinkles for decoration. As your kids get older, they can be more precise and decorate with more details. Let your daughter or son choose any color they want, don’t specify what colors things “need” to be. Let them be at their creative genius best! Making baking fun for your kids now can turn into a love of cooking long down the road.

It’s a great tradition to spend a special weekend each year baking cookies together for the holiday season. Why not choose some cookie cut out recipes, so that you can be creative and have fun decorating them? The real question is which cookie cutter will you choose first?