Stamped Cookie Dough Attributes

Alix S. (Q&A ID 4274)

I want to know what qualities make cookie dough especially good for making clear stamp impressions; is it more butter, more flour, fewer eggs? Baking powder vs. baking soda? I would like to be able to assess and adjust recipes to use stamps, so I'm hoping some cookie experts will weigh in.

Lynn C. (Q&A ID 662)

Hi Alix - Unfortunately, we haven't used cookie stamps for any recipes at Milk Street so I can't give you any tested advice. However, here are some of my personal suggestions -

1. Choose the right style of cookie - a shortbread or sablè cookie is probably best for stamping. That's because these don't contain any leavener or eggs (or only egg yolks), which makes them less likely to rise or spread and impact the design.
2. Don't overmix the dough - when creaming the butter and sugar, you want to make sure to mix the butter and sugar thoroughly but you don't want to beat too long or at too high a speed. This will incorporate too much air which will cause the cookies to spread during baking and affect the stamped design.
3. Flour the stamp very well before stamping the cookies - you want to be able to make a relatively deep impression without the stamp sticking to the dough.
4. Chill the cookies before baking - put the stamped cookies in the fridge before baking. I'd say about an hour. Cold cookies won't spread in the oven and will hold the stamped shapes.

I hope these suggestions are helpful and lead to some beautiful stamped cookies! Best, Lynn C.