Gingerbread and sugar cookies aren't the only things these ingenious little tools are good for. Put your hearts, stars and flowers to work with one of these cute ideas.
Even if you're not baking, break out the cookie cutters to make pizza, fruit, sandwiches and even salads a whole lot cuter. Kids can help punch out fun shapes and will be excited to eat their artful creations.
Pancake Mold
Coat a cookie cutter with nonstick spray and place flat in a skillet, then ladle your batter within the outlines.
Pizza Booster
Nothing says "I love you" like heart-shaped pepperoni slices on a cheesy pie. This also works with salami on a snack tray.
Sandwich Shaper
Use a large cookie cutter to make your brown-bag PB&J a little sweeter. Bonus: no crusts!
Cocktail Garnish
Punch out fruit — melon, pineapple, apples — with small cutters to upgrade a margarita or martini. Or stick wooden skewers in the fruit for mini pops.
Pie Topper
If the idea of weaving a lattice crust makes your brain hurt, try this instead: Cut out pie dough shapes with cookie cutters, arrange them in an overlapping pattern on top of your pie, brush with milk and a sprinkle of sugar, then bake. Or glam up a single-crust pie (pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan) by arranging dough cutouts along the edge.
Mini Cake Cutter
Use a cookie cutter to cut rounds from slices of store-bought pound cake, stack the layers with frosting in between, then top with a berry for single-serving desserts that look like they came from a bakery.
Cheese Slicer
Fresh mozzarella cut into shapes will wake up a ho-hum bowl of pasta or tomato-and-basil salad.
Apple Corer
Slice an apple crosswise and use a small cookie cutter to cut out the core in the center of each piece.
