An Innovative Tool Worth the Space It Takes!
Sometimes I discover a tool or product that blows my socks off, and I find I don’t want to live without it. Such is the case with this new innovative biscuit cutter that I first read about a few years ago in one of my favorite cooking magazines, Cook’s Illustrated.
If you like making biscuits, and you make them often, then this innovative tool is worth the space it takes. Here’s the deal: When you roll out and cut biscuit dough with a conventional cutter, you always need to re-roll and re-cut the dough scraps multiple times. Besides being time-consuming, this overworks the dough, leading to biscuits that are tough, dense, and chewy. But now there’s a biscuit cutter that solves this problem.
Cook’s Illustrated has a column titled “Equipment Corner,” and this month’s topic was the Hexagon Biscuit Cutter by Ateco ($17.33 on amazon.com). It’s a grid of six hexagonal cutters (each 2 5/8 inches across) linked together like a honeycomb. This grid formation allows you to cut nearly all the biscuit dough in one go.
The chefs at America’s Test Kitchen (the folks that produce Cook’s Illustrated) wondered if this cutter was just another gimmick or a true solution to the above-mentioned issues, so they gave it a thorough testing. They reported they had terrific success with this tool, which is why I went ahead and paid the extra money and bought it. And just as the pros said, this biscuit cutter keeps it promise!
Because you can cut so many biscuits in one swoop, I now make layered biscuits. I roll thin layers of dough, cut it and stack layers with a dab of butter between them. Talk about delicious, flaky biscuits! Bottom line: This sturdy, stainless-steel cutter slices crisply, and produces tall, tender, flaky pastries. It’s an efficient tool well worth the cost that I simply don’t want to live without!
Now a closing suggestion: Consider creating a chapter in your Cook’n collection titled “Tools and Equipment.” This is where I collect important kitchen management information, such as the names of my tools and appliances, the location and phone number of places of purchase, submission dates of all warranties, any special instructions or discoveries I’ve made as I’ve used these tools or appliances, etc. I use one New Recipe form per tool or product, and I fill in information like this:
RECIPE NAME:
RECIPE:
INSTRUCTIONS:
In closing, another suggestion: Even if you aren’t a biscuit-maker, you might consider other uses for it. As mentioned above, it cuts yeast roll dough really well, and it also makes quick work of cutting sugar cookie and cracker dough. And you might consider it also, for gift-giving. It’s so unique and it truly delivers!
If you like making biscuits, and you make them often, then this innovative tool is worth the space it takes. Here’s the deal: When you roll out and cut biscuit dough with a conventional cutter, you always need to re-roll and re-cut the dough scraps multiple times. Besides being time-consuming, this overworks the dough, leading to biscuits that are tough, dense, and chewy. But now there’s a biscuit cutter that solves this problem.
Cook’s Illustrated has a column titled “Equipment Corner,” and this month’s topic was the Hexagon Biscuit Cutter by Ateco ($17.33 on amazon.com). It’s a grid of six hexagonal cutters (each 2 5/8 inches across) linked together like a honeycomb. This grid formation allows you to cut nearly all the biscuit dough in one go.
The chefs at America’s Test Kitchen (the folks that produce Cook’s Illustrated) wondered if this cutter was just another gimmick or a true solution to the above-mentioned issues, so they gave it a thorough testing. They reported they had terrific success with this tool, which is why I went ahead and paid the extra money and bought it. And just as the pros said, this biscuit cutter keeps it promise!
Because you can cut so many biscuits in one swoop, I now make layered biscuits. I roll thin layers of dough, cut it and stack layers with a dab of butter between them. Talk about delicious, flaky biscuits! Bottom line: This sturdy, stainless-steel cutter slices crisply, and produces tall, tender, flaky pastries. It’s an efficient tool well worth the cost that I simply don’t want to live without!
Now a closing suggestion: Consider creating a chapter in your Cook’n collection titled “Tools and Equipment.” This is where I collect important kitchen management information, such as the names of my tools and appliances, the location and phone number of places of purchase, submission dates of all warranties, any special instructions or discoveries I’ve made as I’ve used these tools or appliances, etc. I use one New Recipe form per tool or product, and I fill in information like this:
RECIPE NAME:
Tool: Ateco Hexagon Biscuit Cutter ($17.33 on amazon.com)
RECIPE:
Spoons n’ Spice has it locally
2274 So. 1300 E., Suite G9 (in the Sugar House Shopping Center)
801.263.1898
INSTRUCTIONS:
This cutter also works well with my yeast dough when making
rolls. I dip it in flour before cutting, just as I did my other biscuit cutter. LOVE it and plan to gift it!
In closing, another suggestion: Even if you aren’t a biscuit-maker, you might consider other uses for it. As mentioned above, it cuts yeast roll dough really well, and it also makes quick work of cutting sugar cookie and cracker dough. And you might consider it also, for gift-giving. It’s so unique and it truly delivers!
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
