One of the reasons I have never enjoyed making cutout cookies is because they always tend to stick so tightly to the rolling surface that they are impossible to transfer to a baking sheet without completely ruining the shape. No matter how much flour I used on the surface it never seemed to be enough, and too much flour would make the cookie dough tough, leading to hard cookies. I got tired of ending up with deformed and/or overly hard cookies every time I tried, so I finally gave up. After decades of avoiding rolled out cookie dough, I finally gave it a try this year, and one of the main reasons I tried again is because I invested in a non-slip silicone pastry mat (on sale for $22.90) I found on Amazon.
What a difference this mat made! I got the medium-sized 20x28-inch one, and it was more than big enough to get the job done. I was so pleased with my cookie results that I will be making cutout cookies for Christmas from now on! In fact, I may just try my hand again at homemade pastry crust as well, rather than buying pre-made ones, since these mats even have various-sized circles drawn on to aid in shaping pie crust. Homemade yeast bread can also be kneaded on this mat - think how much easier cleanup will be, since you can just lift the mat into your sink and wash the sticky, floury mess off rather than scrubbing your countertop over and over until you think it is clean, only to keep finding dried crusty dough patches everywhere for days. You could even use your silicone mat as a place mat or even a baking sheet if you are so inclined, according to the description (silicone is heat-resistant and food will not stick even when baked on the mat). A non-slip silicone pastry mat is definitely a kitchen necessity, in my opinion!
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