I've accumulated all kinds of dog gear and trinkets over the past three years, but these custom cookie cutters from Canadian Company CookieStruct are definitely a first!
A bit of background: Joe and I love to cook together. The act of curating a tasty meal and enjoying it together is something that's very important to us, and something we do together quite often.
However, baking has been something that I've struggled with in the past. As someone who doesn't necessarily measure all ingredients, and who's prone to "just add a little bit of this!" while cooking, baking is the not-so-forgiving science that needs to be just right. As a result, baking doesn't always agree with me... but that's okay, because it just means that I get to enjoy other people's cultivations from the sidelines (covered in crumbs in bakery bliss).
Despite my baking being sub-par, I do have a secret weapon. Cue the secret hero of this segment: My boyfriend Joe.
In the start of the Pandemic, Joe dove into a hobby that many others began while being stuck at home: Baking and breadmaking. For Christmas last year, he was even given one of his most beloved gifts - a black KitchenAid Mixer.
Over lockdown he baked, and baked, and baked some more. I'll never forget one day walking into the kitchen to freshly made bread rolls lining every. single. open surface of our kitchen (keep in mind, there are only the two of us living under this roof). Let's just say, I definitely did not wear jeans over lockdown, for fear of the button flying off and harming an innocent bystander.
As a result, once I saw these, I knew we had to try them. Here's our review and the links to the recipes that turned out fantastic (even with the non-baker sous chef like myself!).
THE FIRST LOOK
THE FIRST BAKE
I have to admit, I was so excited to try them that I initially ran out and bought a pre-made cookie dough log from our favorite local winery, 13th Street Winery (which is absolutely fantastic).
Through the fog of my joy and excitement, I didn't think this one through. The dough had been pre-frozen and rolled, and was ultimately meant for pre-rolled circular cookies cut with a knife. The dough when rolled was not ideal for the cutters, and the sprinkles made it hard to see the dog's features (and that's what makes the cookie cutters unique!).
Immediately, I went back to the drawing board.
THE SECOND BAKE
With the second bake, I did my research. I looked for recipes that would take well to intricate cookie cutters, and for tips and tricks to support the best results.
For the humans, we decided to go with the Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe from Tastes of Lizzy T. This recipe was only 6 ingredients, and very easy to do (with maximum deliciousness!).
For the dogs, we decided to go with the Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats from Damn Delicious. This recipe required only 4 ingredients, and has since been a hit with both pooches in our home.
TIPS & TRICKS
The biggest, most important trick of the trade for these cookies: CHILL YOUR DOUGH.
When I shared my first set of trials and tribulations on our cookie log fiasco, many people reached out to me saying to make the dough from scratch, and "Whatever you do, chill that dough!"
You advised, and we listened. We chilled our dough not once, but twice. It truly made such a difference.
What worked for us: After assembling your dough, roll it into a flat square and place it on a baking sheet with some parchment or wax paper. Chill for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge, make your cutouts, and chill the cutouts for 15 minutes-1 hour (depending on cookie type). After the second chill time is over, you're good to bake!
OVERALL REVIEW
Upon opening the packaging, I was shocked at how great the cookie cutters looked. I was easily able to identify which dog was which; the artists got the likeness just right.
I was initially worried that the dough would get stuck in the intricacies of the cutters, but we were able to get full cookies without issue. A couple of cookies lost ears on occasion when we were cutting them out, but that's to be expected with any cookie cutter process. We noticed that it was largely towards the end of a dough batch once it had been re-rolled and used (making it warm again). This wasn't an issue for us as we were able to get a large amount of perfectly cut cookies without hassle.
The cutters were also fairly easy to clean, anything that got stuck I easily picked out with a toothpick.
In the end, if you love cookies and you're an over the top dog parent like myself, these Custom Pet Cookie Cutters were too cute to handle. These cookie cutters would make an excellent gift for the baker in the family, and CookieStruct does all kinds of designs (including custom and premade variations). Everything from seasonal, custom logos, to just about anything you can think of.
To see the finished product in comparison to our dog's features, checkout our 15 second TikTok video, here.
A huge thanks goes out to CookieStruct for designing these cookie cutters for us. Definitely recommend checking out this small Canadian business out of Montreal - the sky's the limit as to what they can create.
Now, if anybody needs me - I'll be eating cookies!
