Why does cookie dough cut with a cookie cutter keep their shape when baked but not when it is cut by hand, such as with a knife?

Question

I’ve seen so many of those baking fails when someone tries cutting a heart or unique shape but the dough bakes and spreads into a giant blob or circle lol

Edit: Thank you for all of your responses! I guess most of us can agree on it being fat content and chilling the dough, but it can be any number of factors affecting how it comes out when baked.

In: Other

Answer 1

Not all cookie doughs are the same! Each one typically has sugar, eggs, butter/fat, and flour. The amount of each can vary.

Sugar cookie or shortbread cookie dough often has more flour and less eggs, and these are easily shaped and retain their shape when baked. Gingerbread cookie dough is another example of a cookie dough designed to keep it’s shape.

Other cookie dough, like chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, they’re not intended to be shaped and often contain less flour and more fat, making them spread and puff up.