Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel .. I Made You Out of … Sugar Cookie Dough?
Written: Jan 31 '04
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Pros: Easy to use, inexpensive, nice shape.
Cons: Will get bent easily if not stored properly.
The Bottom Line: Let’s face it, dreidel cookie cutters aren’t exactly something you come across every day so if you come across one, pick it up. You never know when you’ll need one.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Fox Run Craftsmen Dreidel Cookie Cutter 2453 |
Proving once again that I will buy almost anything with a sale sticker on it, this past holiday season I purchased something that I have absolutely no use for – or at least I didn’t think I had a use for it at the time. I am a cookie cutter junkie, that much has been established – but I crossed the line when I purchased a dreidel cookie cutter but I ask you, could you pass up a cookie cutter that was priced at a measly .25 cents? No, I didn’t think so. It was a busy day, my cart was full of groceries and the large tall cardboard display of Fox Run cookie cutters was beckoning me to come and peruse the stainless steel mini treasures. Trees, bells, angels, candy canes … dreidels? At first I had no idea what the shape was – I mean it’s metal with no backing card or color photo attached to it. After staring at it for more time that I am publicly willing to admit it dawned on me that it wasn’t a spade or some type of gem or jewel but a dreidel. Shaking my head and giving out a chuckle I tossed it in the cart; I had no need for it at the time. I’m not Jewish, my boys aren’t Jewish and the people that I know that are Jewish aren’t exactly the kind of people that are going to roll up their sleeves and make decorated dreidel cookies.
Fox Run Stainless Steel Dreidel Cookie Cutter
Until this past holiday season the only time I ever made any type of secular cookie was pink crosses for Easter and some All Hallows Eve pastries [soul cakes, heart pies etc] from my youth. Since I left the door to religion open to my boys and am allowing them to pick their own path of spiritual enlightenment, they have all been exposed to a lot of different religions. The cookie cutter proved to be a great learning experience for them and they were pretty enthralled about the history of the dreidel and what it represents. For me, it was a challenge to use the cutter, get the cookie to retain its shape then decorate it in some fashion that was politically correct and wouldn’t offend anyone. From all this I learned about the history of the dreidel, how the game is played and what the symbols on it mean. What started out as an impulse purchase quickly turned into a family affair where everyone got involved in making the colorful cookies, picking out which of the symbols to put on them and a hysterical two hour giggle fest when we tried to make a 3-D cookie dreidel.
This is a basic stainless steel cookie cutter so when you are picking it out, make sure that the seams are sealed and well fused. If they aren’t they will start to pull away from each other and that is essentially “death” to a cutter unless you own a blowtorch. Using this is pretty easy but you have to make sure you are working with a basic cookie dough that won’t spread too much when it is baking, you want to keep the shape of the dreidel, not end up with a huge glob that “sort of” looks like one. If you do end up with some misshaped cookies, you can try to clean it up by pressing the cutter over the cookie once its had a few minutes to cool off, do it too soon and you will ruin the edges, wait too long and you risk cracking the cookie. We had to play around with the consistency of the dough to get it “just right” and found that a chilled, almost frozen dough worked best to get the sharpest edges. The size [roughly two inches by three inches] makes it easy to transfer it from the counter to the cookie sheet but per my usual advice, a light dusting of flour under the dough makes a world of difference.
Using the cutter is pretty basic but you have to make sure that you apply an even amount of pressure to get a good cut into the dough. Flouring the base of the cutter will allow the dough to fall away from it easily but can get a little messy if you have kids that are trying to get in on the fun. Clean up is pretty basic, wash with warm soapy water and air or towel dry before storing. This is one of the downfalls of thin metal cutters, if they are simply tossed in a drawer or in a plastic bag with other cutters there is a real risk that they will get bent out of shape. I suggest storing metal cutters flat in a large plastic box with thick cardboard to create layers. They will be safe, won’t take up a lot of space and will always be ready when the urge to bake strikes you.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes it’s the small things in life that really make you appreciate what you have. Who would have through that a twenty five cent cookie cutter would have provided us with so much enjoyment, been a learning experience and given me a real challenge in the icing department. If you are looking for a dreidel cookie cutter and don’t want to have to invest in a complete set, this is a good pick but it does require a little bit of care when cleaning and storing it. I found this at my local grocery store with the other seasonal cookie cutters and I would imagine that this wouldn’t be the easiest thing to find out of season. Most of the Fox Run cutters are under a dollar so if they do get trashed they can easily be replaced. Overall this is a good cutter but does require some special handling, with a little care this should last a few years but remember to check those seams when making a purchase!
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2004 Freak369
Other seasonal cutter ….
5 Point Star Perimeter Cookie Cutter
Spooky Cookie Cutter Set
Christmas Tree Perimeter Cookie Cutter
Jack O Lantern Canister Cookie Cutter Set
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): .25 cents
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