Best Way to Get Clean, Sharp Cookie Edges?

Hi BearClanCookies, Put your cookies in the freezer so you can handle them without changing the shape. Freezing them several times has never affected the way my cookies taste or bake. Just knock off the edges with your fingers, place them back on the parchment/baking paper and move on to the next cookie. It only take me a few minutes to do a whole cookie sheet. I even take my cookies straight from the freezer to the oven.

I never handle my fresh cut cookies at room temperature. I don't remove the scraps from around fresh cut outs either untill fronzen enough to handle. The dough warms up quickly and cold cookie dough separates with cleaner edges too.

Welcome. Oh do I know where you are since I am pretty new to this too. I think I gained 5 kilos in a month baking ,tasting, cutting ,more baking etc. until I found 1 sugar cookie recipe that works for me here. 

Re-cutting cookies after baking causes exactly what you described. Tried that too.

I agree with cookies Parr that chilling the dough, cutting then freezing and putting the cookies directly into a well heated oven and timed exactly will help with the spread. I'm still not always lucky!

The quality of the butter,quantity of eggs and I don't add baking powder also make a difference. I went on youtube and followed Jenny Arata at Signature Sweet Shoppe making my dough side by side with her and tweaked the recipe for Greece.

Have patience with yourself and don't give up.

T

You all are wonderful! Thank you for the tips and great suggestions! Love this support!,

I agree about the freezing, although I rarely do it. I roll my dough right out of the refrigerator, after it's been chilled overnight. My "secret?" No leavening. The reason for baking powder or soda is to fluff things up. You don't want that in decorated cookies. Leave it out.

Chilling and very little handling is the way I do it, as well.  

I also keep a metal straight edge icing spatula beside me ... after I cut my dough, if the edges aren't as straight as they should be, (which can happen depending on how you hold your cutter or your hand moves etc), I give it a little extra help ... nothing worse than a rectagular cookie coming out looking like it has large hips!

I also use no leavening, but it seems you might be asking about the "fringe" from a cookie cutter not being sharp enough. That leaves shaggy edges, and not all cutters cut cleanly. I keep a pointy paring knife by me when cutting out cookies. I cut out cookies from dough rolled between sheets of parchment paper,(I use slats of 1/4" thickness from a baking store), remove the dough from around them (so I don't have to move the cookie) trim scraggly edges with the knife, and slide the paper onto the cookie sheet. Sometimes I still have some fringe after baking, and again, a paring knife, used when held perpendicular to the cookie edge, works great! Or even a thin offset spatula, at this point. Hope that helps!

Cookie Princess, This is a great question, but it's a completely different one than at the start of this thread. I'm moving it into another thread and deleting from here.

On my reply above, when I talk about getting the scraggled edge off baked cookies, I meant after they cool completely! Just clarifying! Nancy

Some days I think the baking gods are just not in our favor.  For me, it can be pan to pan,,,spread in one, the next will not spread a bit!  I was always taught to use room-temperature butter when baking so this is how I always made my cookies.  Recently I have read that some cookiers start with COLD butter,,,what?!?  But, it really does make sense...I mean most of us chill our dough before rolling anyway, or stick our cut-out cookies in the fridge or freezer before baking.  So now I start with cold butter and cold eggs.  I still put my unbaked cut-out cookies in the fridge for 20+ minutes and then go straight to oven and hope for the best!

Cookies by Charity - FYI, there is a forum here on Cookie Connection about the cold butter method. If you're interested, you can find it here: http://cookieconnection.juliau...reezing-cookie-dough

Yes but for those without fancy mixers how is the cold butter going to mix with the sugar? So I naturally have all my ingredients at room temp too. Is there something I am missing?

I found baking on parchment paper helps along with chilling and freezing. 

So excited to hear from all of you! Thanks for the tips! I never put my cut out cookies in the fridge or freezer before baking so I will try! Thanks again everyone!

I always use warm butter, no baking powder, and roll out the warm dough between parchment sheets (barely one or two rolls per sheet it's so easy when soft). Then I chill for hours before cutting, so the cut cookies can be handled easily. I use a chopstick to run around the edges (or just my finger on simple shapes) to smooth them, then bake. 

One key thing I've found is to barely mix the butter and sugar to start - certainly not creaming it til it's fluffy, as the addition of air at this stage can increase spreading. I just make sure the ingredients are properly incorporated and no more.

I have tried everything - no leavener, chilling the dough, not over-mixing, parchment paper. Sometimes the spread was manageable but I often had to re-cut the cookies once baked as well. Which like you said, creates crumbly edges. 

I solved it by switching to LilaLoa's recipe found here: http://www.lilaloa.com/2012/04/vanilla-variation.html

I preferred the texture of my old recipe (a bit chewier/less crumbly) but the taste is still great, and the payoff is soooo good. No more spreading. I will never go back!

Since finding Lila Loa recipe via this site , I have switched recipes and had great results.  The hints found in this thread are very helpful!!! THANKS for hsaring experienced cookiers!