So you have stumbled upon the awesome world of cut-out sugar cookies and cookie decorating. You've collected some fun Cookie Cutters, and your collection is only growing. Naturally you're going to want to take proper care of these cutters. Many people have asked us how to care for their cookie cutters. For this, we have decided to post some tid-bits of information that we hope will be of use. Cookie cutters can be a great investment that will serve as great tools for you to make tons of yummy decorated sugar cookies.

Generally speaking, all cookie cutters should be hand washed. Here are a few suggestions and more specific information about each of the most common types of cookie cutters:

Tin Cookie Cutters

Tin is the most common material for cookie cutters today. Tin is a relatively low cost material, and thus these cookie cutters are typically very accessible as far as cost goes. Tin is typically very pliable (bends easily.) Some may look at this as a downside to tin, but there are also some advantages. For example, if you want to alter the shape of your cookie cutter, this is done. Imagine wanting a surf board shaped cookie cutter in a jiffy. Naturally you don't have one, but you do have a football one. You can easily flatten the shape out until you've got your board. Hang Ten!

Also if a cookie cutter is bent in an undesirable way, it's usually easy to fix it. When altering or fixing the shape of a tin cutter, use extra caution around the soldered joints so you don't damage them.

Tin cookie cutters should be gently hand washed (avoiding the use of anything abrasive), and dried quickly to prevent rust. If you live in a high-humidity area, it is even suggested that they be dried with a hairdryer, or they can be placed on a baking sheet and dried in a slightly warm over (oven should be heated to a low temperature and then turned off before placing cookie cutters in.) Basically you're just needing to get them dried fast, and thoroughly.

Avoid having the cookie cutters come into contact with anything acidic, as the tinplate can wear off. As said previously, tin cookie cutters will bend easily, so store them with care. You can hang them on hooks, or store them loosely in drawers or bins. If you put them in any container in this fashion, be careful when sorting through them or putting them away not to force them, as this can result in bending. Also, as the cookie cutters hit against each other they may damage the tinplate and thus cause rusting.

Copper Cookie Cutters

Copper Cookie Cutters are usually more expensive than any other type, just because copper is a more expensive material, but people enjoy them for several reasons. First they are often viewed as not merely tools, but collectibles and decorations. Even if someone doesn't bake and decorate cookies, if they collect cow trinkets, they're going to love displaying a classy cow copper cookie cutter. Also, when they are used as tools, they are significantly more sturdy than tin, and will keep their shape much better. Finally, although copper does tend to tarnish, it will not rust as easily as tin might.

Copper cookie cutters should also be hand washed and dried immediately and thoroughly. It is common for copper to tarnish and lose its shine after time. Some actually prefer that look. If you want that luster back, you can restore that new brilliant look with things you probably already have in the home. Immerse the cookie cutters briefly in a very diluted acid such as vinegar with baking soda or lemon juice, and rub off the tarnish with a rag. Rinse with warm water, wipe dry and your copper cookie cutters should be back to their original luster. If necessary, you can even polish with a very fine (#00 or #000) steel wool, but please be very mindful of anything you use to polish or clean with, as copper can scratch easily.

There are also a number of commercial products that polish and clean copper very effectively.

Copper cutters should be stored like tin cookie cutters, either hung up or stored carefully in a drawer or bin.

Plastic Cookie Cutters

Plastic cookie cutters are easy to find, and typically the most cost effective. They'll maintain their form well, and make for a effective general tool. You won't be able to change the form at all, and you probably won't be getting these as a decoration or keepsake. But for getting some cookies cut out and not worrying much about the storing, cleaning, and caring, they're very useful.

As with the other cutters, plastic cookie cutters may be hand washed, but naturally it's not going to matter to toss some in a dish washer. It is not as critical to dry them right away because, of course, they will not rust or tarnish. Keeping them away from a high heat source is important so that they will not warp or melt. Keep this in mind when using a dish washer as small cookie cutters can fall through the rack and end up on the heating element of the washer.

Plastic cutters can be stored just about any way you desire. Of course, they can warp and be damaged, but tyically it's pretty easy to keep them in usable shape.

We hope this article has been helpful and that you will enjoy your cookie cutters for a long time to come.

About The Author:

This information was writen by Mike Summers of Karen's Cookies. Mike and Karen have been working in the Cookie Decorating industry for several years. Visit www.KarensCookies.net to learn more about cookie cutters and cookie decorating, including tutorials, videos, ideas, and links to many other resources.

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At some time in history somebody thought that circles were just too common a shape for all cookies. Cookie Cutters were the solution, but how did they evolve? Here are just a few bits of information on the history of cookie cutters for your enjoyment.

Today's cookie cutter was not invented by one sinlge person, but instead has evolved over hundreds of years. In fact, you can go back as early as 2000 B.C. to find ancient Egyptian wooden or ceramic baking molds that were used to make biscuits or cakes. Even way back at that time they yearned for a bit more creativity, though pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles were still a ways off!

Fast forward to the 16th century and we see the popularity of the gingerbread man start to rise. written history accounts for the first gingerbread cookies appearing in Queen Elizabeth I's court in England. Apparently she had these cookies made as miniature, edible replicas of some of her more extinguished guests. Off with their heads! (and legs and arms... and gumdrop buttons.) As these gingerbread cookies started to become popular orders from bake shops in the 1600's, shops started using tin cutters to expedite the process of producing them.

As Europeans migrated to America, so did some of their trends and customs, including the gingerbread man cookies and the cookie cutters used to make them. It wasn't long before American metal workers started manufacturing the cutters (in multiple forms and sizes) and making them available to the general public. By the 1800's tin cookie cutters were being sold from shops and peddlers.

By the mid 1800's industrial machinery had developed in both Europe and the United States to the point that all sorts of products were moved from being made by hand to created in factories. By the turn of the century several companies were creating and distributing cookie cutters in this fashion, offering them in catalogs, advertising them, and even importing them from across the ocean.

While tin had been the main material for producing cookie cutters, they started being made from other materials as they became more available. During the first half of the 20th century we saw aluminum and plastic being used.

Cookie cutters kept on growing in popularity as more designs were created. During the 1970's and into the 1980's more women became domestic and worked on their own projects at home, including decorated cookies. During this time we also saw growth in spendable income, allowing people to spend more on such hobbies. As with many other products, there was a trend during the last quarter of the century to make manufacturing less expensive, and more cookie cutters were being made in the likes of China and Malaysia. However, cookie cutter production somehow survived being moved completely out of country and there are still several cutters being produced in America.

Now you can find cookie cutters in just about any shape or size. Copper is now a popular material for cookie cutters, but tin and plastic are still the most commonly found. If you can't find a particular shape, there are cookie cutter companies that will create a custom shape for you. Likewise, you can purchase your own kit to design and make your own cutter.

While cookie cutters are being bought for the obvious purpose of cutting out cookies, there is also a lot of people that search for, bid on, and buy cookies simply to collect them. There is even an official Cookie Cutter Collectors Club (CCCC) that meets regularly and has a big following. There are at least a couple of Cookie Cutter Museums, and enthusiasts even enjoy a "National Cookie Cutter Week" (started by the CCCC) during the first week of December. Of course this marks the beginning of the biggest time of the year for decorating cookies: the Christmas season. Even if you don't care for the holiday, who can resist biting into a yellow frosted star cookie?

About The Author:

This article was compiled by Mike Summers of Karen's Cookies. Mike and Karen have been working in the Cookie Decorating industry for several years. Visit www.KarensCookies.net to learn more about cookie decorating and cookie cutters, including tutorials, videos, ideas, and links to many other cookie decorating resources.

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