Nordicware Cookie Stamps (and great big cookie sheet)

Ready for a little trivia before we move on to cookie stamps?

You know those big cookie sheets - the ones that look professional and heavy-duty, compared to the flimsy ones your grandma used?

You might know that they're called half-sheet pans. (Did you know? You get points!)

But do you know why?

It's because in professional bakeries, they use pans that are twice that size. Those are full-sheet pans. So the ones you might use are half-sheet pans. And then there are pans that are half that size, and they're called quarter-sheet pans.

If you go to a restaurant supply store, you might find full-sheet pans, but unless you need a big pan for storing stuff, I don't suggest you buy one. They won't fit in your oven.

Nope. The biggest baking pan that will fit in your home oven is a three-quarter sheet pan.

Those three-quarter pans are kind of rare. BUT!!! Nordicware is now selling them. They call it the Natural Big Baking Sheet. I didn't get a good photo of it. But it looks like a cookie sheet. A nice, big, high-quality, sturdy cookie sheet.

I got one to try out, along with the Geo Cookie Stamps.

The bigger pan is great for when you're in the midst of cookie-palooza and you need to use every possible inch of oven space. There's enough space around the outer edges for air circulation. It would also be good for roasting a lot of vegetables or any other baking project where you need a lot of space. It would also be good as a drip catcher in the oven if you're baking a few pies that might get messy.

I'm a little bit in love with the cookie stamps, if I'm being honest. They're geometric patterns, so they're appropriate for any holiday or no holiday. And they're easy to use. And they look ... well, sort of retro. Like they might have been owned by your grandma.

You can cut cookies with a cookie cutter and then stamp them. Or you can roll dough into balls and then mash them with the stamp, or you can stamp rolled-out dough and then cut out shapes.

I used them for shortbread cookies and also for a nut-butter cookie - like peanut butter cookies that you'd normally mark with a fork to make the classic crosshatch pattern. The stamps worked perfectly with both types of cookies, and they should work just as well for any cookie that doesn't spread a lot during baking.

The stamps I got were a set of three with geometric designs, but I see that Nordicware has a couple of other sets including all-season stamps, and holiday cookie stamps. Oh my! I already have a giant collection of cookie cutters, but now I'm coveting all of those stamps. It's such an easy way to add personality to cookies.

Who's it for: Cookie stamps are for people who bake cookies and want them a little fancier; the baking pan is great for anyone who wants to bake a lot of stuff all at once.

Pros: Stamps: They work well. Nice patterns. Cookie sheet: It's huuuge. It's sturdy. It's well made.

Cons:  Stamps: Oops. Now I want them ALL. Cookie sheet: The only "con" for me was finding a place to store it. It didn't fit where my other cookie sheets were. But I found space!

Wishes: Stamps: I hope they make more designs. Cookie sheet: It's a cookie sheet. Hard to ask for much more.

Source: I received these from the manufacturer as part of a Nordicware program.

Check out a review of the book with the recipe for the cookies.

Check out the cookie recipe.

Gingerdead Men Cookie Cutters

These cookie cutters just make me laugh.

I've seen all kinds of gingerbread cookie cutters - men, women, ninjas ... even some with bites taken out of them. But these cutters look inside the gingerbread men and show you the BONES.

Yup. Bones. Inside gingerbread men. They're Gingerdead Men!

Sure, you could use these for Halloween, but they'd be a riot for Christmas, too. Got a doctor in the family? Or someone who works with X-rays? Or a nurse or medical student? I'm sure they'd get a laugh out of these.

Or maybe even an athlete who's been known to crack a bone or two? Or someone who's interested in archaeology? Or just someone with a quirky sense of humor.

These would be a perfect sweet gift - either the cutters themselves or a box of baked and decorated cookies.

Speaking of decorating, the design isn't overly complicated, and the area to be filled is wider than some cutters I've used, so these would be a little easier for kids to decorate.

And wouldn't these be perfect for home made dog treats? hehe.

The way these work is that you stamp the cookies first, then cut them out with the other side of the stamp/cutter - they're one piece, so there aren't pieces you could lose or misplace.

While there's just one cutter design, you can give your cookies a little more individuality by cutting the cookies at slightly different angles - up, down, sideways - to make the fellas look like they're looking in different directions.

If you don't want to stamp the cookies, you can just the cutters for regular gingerbread men, and decorate any way you like.

I thought these were much cooler looking with the "bones" filled with white icing, but they also looked good undecorated - the impressions are deep enough that you can see the design really well without decorating.

I also tried brushing some cookies with an eggwash for a shiny look on the raised areas - there are a lot of options for decorating these!

I used a basic vanilla cookie recipe for these, but of course they'd work with any roll-out cookie recipe, whether it's vanilla, chocolate, or gingerbread.

If filling the indents with icing seems like too much trouble, you could also sprinkle these with powdered or colored sugar and brush the sugar off the raised areas. The decoration wouldn't be as permanent (and a bit more messy), but it would still look good on a cookie tray.

Who's it for: Anyone who likes interesting cookie cutters!

Pros: Fun! Easy to use.

Cons: None I can think of.

Wishes: It would be cool if there were several sizes of these, to make a whole gingerdead family!

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.

Sweet Spirits Day of the Dead Cookie Cutters

Whether you celebrate The Day of the Dead or not, the Sweet Spirits cookie cutters/stamps are crazy fun.

I tested them on a basic shortbread cookie recipe, and what I really really really love about these cutters is that the design on the stamp is deep enough that you can see the design really well, even if you don't decorate the cookies.

Yeah, they'd be a lot crazier looking if you decorate them - and how much fun would these be for kids! But they're just plain fun without the added icing.

While these are probably aimed directly at Day of the Dead, they'd be fun for any monster-themed party - kids love monsters, right? Or just for fun. They're crazy looking and they'd be a lot of fun to decorate in multiple colors.

I have some spring-loaded cookie cutters and two-piece cookie cutter-stamps, but these are different. The stamp is on one side, then you flip it over to cut. First you make the impression in the dough, then you cut out your cookie. So easy. And it works really well.

Besides using these for edible cookies, these would be fun for crafty things, like making clay ornaments. Not me, by they way. I'm not that crafty. But I could see someone else using them for that.

And these would be great stocking stuffers for anyone you know who likes baking or who likes unusual cookie cutters.

Hint: If you need these in a hurry this year, check out World Market if you have one near you.

Who's it for: Me. Um, I mean anyone who loves cookie cutters. Or cookies. Or Day of the Dead.

Pros: Easy to use. Crazy fun designs. Bright colors.

Cons: Not as universal as flowers or stars.

Wishes: None I can think of.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.