This Giant Gingerbread Cookie Cutter Makes Holiday Baking a Breeze
Updated: Nov. 09, 2022
Get the cookie dough ready! This giant gingerbread cookie cutter will make sure your festive season is filled with sugar, spice and everything nice.
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It takes a village to create the perfect holiday party—a village of gingerbread men, that is. We found the perfect tool to take your Christmas baking to the next level: a giant gingerbread cookie cutter that creates a whole batch of gingerbread cookies. (We’re not kidding, it makes 24 at once). Here’s why this cookie decorating tool is a holiday essential, according to our Test Kitchen.
What is a giant gingerbread cookie cutter?
This is what cookie bakers and holiday lovers dream of. The huge gingerbread cookie cutter features 24 gingerbread men shapes, so you can create copious amounts of Christmas cookies with minimal hassle. It also helps you more effectively use your dough (fewer extra scraps left at the end to try and shape into that last cookie). Bonus: You’ll know exactly how many cookies you have coming out of the oven.
And while we’re partial to using the holiday season as an excuse to eat plenty of gingerbread, the cookie cutter is also perfect for other tasty Christmas cookie recipes. And it’s a great Christmas gift for your favorite baker.
Giant Gingerbread Cookie Cutter Specs
- Cuts 24 cookies at once
- Stainless steel
- Washable by hand
- Measures 13×10 inches, which should cover your average batch of cookie dough
How to Use a Giant Gingerbread Cookie Cutter
Taste of Home Executive Culinary Director, Sarah Farmer, was drawn to the unique design of this oversized cookie cutter. She gave it a whirl in our Test Kitchen and was impressed with its sharpness and size. “You won’t easily misplace or lose this large cutter like you might a single cutter,” Sarah says. “Plus, it’s cute as all get-out!”
Here’s how to use it.
Step 1: Roll and shape the dough
First, whip up your favorite gingerbread cookie dough. Roll it into a large rectangle, squaring off as you go. The goal is to shape the dough into a 13×10-inch rectangle to match the cookie cutter. Sarah suggests rolling between two pieces of parchment paper. “Gingerbread dough can be sticky,” she says. “Plus, the parchment makes it easy to transfer dough to baking sheets.” For best results, roll the dough a little on the thicker side. It should be no thinner than 1/8-inch thick.
Step 2: Cut the cookies
Once your dough is shaped, it’s showtime. Firmly press the giant gingerbread cookie cutter into your dough, then remove it. “Some of the in-between pieces might stick to the cutter,” Sarah warns. If you’re working with an overly wet or sticky dough, she suggests dipping the entire cookie cutter in flour before pressing.
Step 3: Trim, trim, trim
Once the dough is cut, get to work trimming away the excess pieces inside and around the gingerbread men shapes. A toothpick works wonders for tidying up the excess. “You can re-roll the scraps, but you probably won’t have enough to create another large rectangle,” Sarah says. Instead, use a different cookie cutter or shape into balls.
Step 4: Chill
After all that handling, your dough will likely be pretty soft. This step makes it easier to separate the gingerbread men. Pop your cut dough into the freezer for 15-20 minutes, until firm. Then, transfer the chilled gingerbread men to a new parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1-2 inches apart.
Step 5: Bake and decorate
Bake the cookies according to your recipe instructions and let cool. Then, it’s time to decorate! We’re partial to giving them their own holiday sweaters, or transforming them into teddy bears with the magic of a little icing, candy and other gourmet baking ingredients. Feel free to get creative! This tool is perfect for hosting a cookie decorating party with friends.
Final Verdict
“There’s a bit more work involved with using this cutter, since you need to remove the small dough pieces, chill the dough for easy separation, then separate the cookies to another baking sheet,” Sarah says. “But I can’t deny I’m in love with it! It’s sharp and solid—and it has some fun applications.”
In addition to using the giant gingerbread cookie cutter for cookies, Sarah explains that it has a Santa-sized list of other uses. For example, it’s the perfect template for dusting powdered sugar atop brownies and bars. Or, press it through partially set chocolate. Holiday breakfasts also get sweeter: “You could press it through an oven pancake and make ‘people’ shaped pancakes that you could decorate for any occasion,” Sarah says. “Accessorize with mini chocolate chips and syrup or caramel sauce—you name it.”
The bottom line? “This is a unique cutter with lots of fun possibilities,” Sarah says. “I give it 48 little thumbs-up!”
Where to Buy a Giant Gingerbread Cookie Cutter
Ready to start baking? Buy the giant gingerbread cookie cutter from Anthropologie for $38. While you’re waiting for it to arrive, stock up on frosting and sprinkles, then let the cookie decorating commence!
Originally Published: October 24, 2022
