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Becoming popular in the 16th century, when the gingerbread man made its way into the English court and then moved through to common people, cookie cutters have evolved over time into different shapes and sizes. And National Cookie Cutter Day comes around each year to remind people how valuable cookie cutters can be to their lives!

Even before Queen Elizabeth I had gingerbread made into men, the Germans of the 1500s were baking small cakes into molds and designs, some of which were very intricate. By the time the 1800s came around, the cookie cutters were made from tin by American tinsmiths. In fact, the first patent for a cookie cutter in the United States was granted to Alexander P. Ashbourne in 1875.

National Cookie Cutter Week was the grandfather of National Cookie Cutter Day, beginning its first celebrations in the mid-1990s when the week was founded by Paula Mullins. Several decades later, in 2019, National Cookie Cutter Day was established, typically celebrated on the first day of Cookie Cutter Week.

Celebrated at the beginning of December, this National Cookie Cutter Day is the perfect time for those people who are getting ready to make cookies for Christmas, Hanukkah, or various other winter holidays. So get those cookie cutters ready, whip up a batch of cookie dough, and get ready to celebrate!

Enjoy National Cookie Cutter Day in a variety of ways – all of which can be delicious as well as loads of fun:

Make Cut-Out Cookies

Cookie dough that is used to make cutout cookies is a special kind of dough that is pliable enough to roll out but strong enough to hold the shape of the cookie. Typically this type of dough needs to be kept cold in the refrigerator in order for the cookies to keep their shape once they are cut out.

In many places, pre-packaged refrigerated cookie dough can be found in the grocery store, making it super easy to celebrate National Cookie Cutter Day. But those who want to make their cookie dough from scratch can do so with ingredients like sugar, flour, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt.

One delightful way to enjoy National Cookie Cutter Day is to head out to a local store that sells kitchen goods (or, perhaps Christmas holiday supplies) and add to that collection of cookie cutters. For those who don’t have a collection of cookie cutters yet, perhaps it’s time to start one!

Some of the most popular cookie cutter brands include Wilton Brand, Williams Sonoma, Farberware, or Ann Clark. Choose classic shapes and styles like hearts, stars, circles or snowflakes, or get a bit more creative and try some special sets like unique dog breeds or favorite cats.

Provide educational fun for young kids by using cookie cutters in the shapes of letters and numbers. Older kids can use the opportunity to have a lesson in arts, crafts and even math. The options are virtually endless when it comes to celebrating National Cookie Cutter Day!

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