Food
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Fattigmann Cutter?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

When it comes to preparing those very special Norwegian cookies that are known as Fattigmann, the use of a Fattigmann cutter is absolutely essential. As a cookie cutter that makes it possible to cut cookie dough into diamond shaped pieces, the Fattigmann cutter makes the task of baking cookies much easier. Here is some information on the Fattigmann cutter, including where to purchase Norwegian cookie cutter.

The Fattigmann cookie has an unusual shape and the construction of the Fattigmann cutter is designed to help make the preparation of the cookie much easier. Rather than hand molding the shape of each cookie and then using a knife to create a slit down the middle section, the cutter features a round section that not only cuts out the unique diamond shape of the cookie, but also creates the slit at the same time.

Chef
Chef

The Fattigmann cutter has a stainless steel handle that allows the user to push the wheel through the dough, creating the diamond shapes as it progresses in a straight line. Using the cutter makes it possible to prepare a number of cookies ready for deep drying in minutes, rather than spending a half hour or more preparing the same number of cookies by hand.

Norwegian cookie cutters of this type can also be used with other types of cooking processes as well. For instance, the Fattigmann cutter can also be used with biscuit dough to create diamond shaped biscuits that have a natural crease for the addition of jams or a butter glaze. The Fattigmann cutter is also sturdy enough to be used with thin oblong sections of potatoes, creating a unique design for fried or scalloped potatoes. Pastry dough can also be cut using the Fattigmann cutter, making the finished product all the more visually interesting.

Finding a Fattigmann cutter may or may not be an easy task, depending on your location. This handy kitchen utensil is easily obtained in most retail shops around Europe and in the United Kingdom that carry kitchen utensils. In the United States, more upscale kitchen boutiques often carry the Fattigmann cutter. Restaurant supply stores also are a good place to look for the cutter. However, the chances of finding a Fattigmann cutter in the kitchen section of a general department store are not very good at all. If you do not have easy access to a kitchen shop or restaurants supply business, then your best bet will be to shop for a Fattigmann cutter on the Internet.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

shell4life

I like using the Fattigmann cutter for pastries. Cutting one open after it is done to add jam can be awkward and messy, so I like to use the cutter on the dough. That slit in the middle is just big enough for the right amount of jam to be added later.

I love putting orange marmalade in the slit. If I do it when the pastries are still hot, then it will soak into the pastry and flavor more than just the area where I placed it.

I've never tried using the Fattigmann cutter on potatoes, but I think that would be a good idea. It would definitely be more interesting than cutting them in thin rounds or in strips for french fries.

Perdido

Making Fattigmann cookies is so easy. The recipe is simple, and the cutter makes the process go even more quickly.

The basic ingredients are butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and vanilla, with a touch of salt. These cookies are deep fried in oil, so the hardest part of the whole procedure is avoiding getting splashed and burned by the hot oil.

I use the cutter to make uniformly perfect shapes, and then I use tongs to place them in oil and to take them out and put them on a rack. Since they are all thin and evenly shaped, using the tongs is easy, and it helps me avoid burns.

wavy58

@OeKc05 – It is certainly more easy to use than the typical round cookie cutters that have to be pressed down over and over again. The Fattigmann cutter does have a long handle attached to the cutting wheel, making it easy to roll it across the dough.

To me, it looks like a pizza cutter. Of course, there are more parts to it, but just the general look of the long handle with the rolling cutter wheel is very much like the tool I use to slice my pizza.

The only issue I have is that sometimes, the dough will stick and get caught up in the cutter. I find that if I flour the surface of the dough before I begin cutting it, I can keep this from happening.

OeKc05

What does a Fattigmann cutter look like? I'm guessing since the article says it has a wheel that it must have some sort of handles to grasp and roll it by.

Every cookie cutter I've ever used has been the stationary kind. I simply mash the cutter down to make a cookie. I never imagined that there was a cutter out there that would allow me to make multiple cookie shapes quickly.

I had never heard of a Fattigmann cookie, so that's probably why I never knew about this type of cutter. How easy is it to use?

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Chef
      Chef