My opinion on Nordic Ware cookie stamps

Today Beatriz, author of To Be Gourmet, gives us her opinion on an item that is a sweet whim as much as the cookies you make with it: Nordic Ware cookie stamps! I know it’s hard to imagine how well they work or how good they look without having them in front of you, but believe me, they are stamps that you’ll fall in love with!

For a long time now I’ve been a fan of the Nordic Ware baking pans for making spectacular cakes thanks to the beautiful designs the brand offers. I get a new one every so often and I must confess I would love to have them all as if they were a collection. In fact, I keep some expectation about the possibility that they’ll release a new one to see what other ways a cake can be shaped impressively, and to add it to my wish list.

When I discovered the aluminum stamps through the Claudia&Julia online shop I was smitten. It was back in December when I first saw them thanks to a recipe for Christmas cookies made with the “Holiday cookie” stamps. You can see it HERE.

I immediately saw that there were also beautiful designs for “all year” which are the “All season” stamps and I chose those.

The first thing I’d say is that I loved how they were presented: in a well-made box, where I still keep them, one after another slightly tilted as if they were three little jewels.
Their size was the second thing that surprised me; I hadn’t paid attention to the product description where it clearly states their diameter and the truth is they are three good pieces with great presence; the wooden handle, the engraved aluminum part… I thought they were brilliant as gifts because they’re a true treat for those of us who love the world of baking.

To see how they performed, the first time I used a butter cookie recipe I have mastered and that always turns out great. They passed the test with flying colors! You can see the recipe on the blog (here).


The procedure to get a dough that can be stamped with the design and that remains unchanged after baking is the usual one:

1.- Roll the dough on baking paper on a cookie sheet (like this one from De Buyer), or on the oven tray itself (if it isn’t too large).

2.- Chill it a bit in the fridge without letting it become excessively hard so it’s not difficult to press the stamp in.

3.- Impress the chosen motif several times over the rolled dough with a small space between impressions.

4.- Since the cookie stamp does not cut but only marks a design, cut afterwards with a round cookie cutter of the same size (a metal plating ring would also work), placing it over each one, and remove the edge scraps.

5.- Chill well again so the cookies are very firm before putting them in the oven and so that with the brief baking time they need they keep their shape.

Another option is to make small balls of dough and flatten them to obtain circles approximately the size of the cookie and then stamp even if a border remains. The effect is pretty because it reminds me of the red wax seals on old letters.

We can first cut the circle once the ball is rolled out (it should be larger than the design to achieve the effect) and obtain a perfect round cookie, or not do it and let it keep the irregular shape. In either case it looks beautiful.

You can make all the cookies the same design, and reserve the other two for another occasion and thus ration the designs, or alternate the stamps in the same bake and offer an assortment with different shapes.

Some people have told me the dough stuck to the stamp. In that case I have recommended two things: first, pass the stamp through flour first — this will often prevent sticking. And second, if it still sticks, you might want to check the flour/butter ratio to avoid a dough that’s too sticky. If you’re interested, you’ll find one of my recipes using the stamps here, on the blog.

As for cleaning, the stamps clean wonderfully, because their grooves are large enough that no dough remains are hard to remove. The best thing is to use a damp cloth, important, then dry!

Stamped cookies turn out so pretty that they’re a lovely idea to prepare as gifts. On the other hand, in our kitchen the stamps can be left on display on a shelf because they’re super decorative with their rustic and vintage.