The Biscuit Cutter Alternative That's Already Hanging Out In Your Pantry

When it comes to making homemade biscuits, there are two types of people: Those who make rolled ones and those who make drop biscuits. I come from a long line of drop-biscuit people, so rolling out biscuit dough has never been an issue for me. (In fact, I've even been known to doctor up a tube of canned biscuits from time to time.) Still, I'm all about passing on helpful kitchen tips even if I don't need them myself, and I especially like it when they allow you to forego purchasing a single-use gadget like a biscuit cutter that will just take up extra room in an already crowded kitchen drawer. So, instead of buying a cutter, the next time you're baking up a batch of rolled biscuits (which you can make with only two ingredients), you should instead reach for a Mason jar lid. This will allow you to cut out perfectly circular biscuits.

You'll probably have a Mason jar or two (or 10) kicking around. If you've always wondered why they have that distinctive two-part lid, the reason is that Mason jars were originally meant for canning. (This is only one aspect of the Mason jar's incredible history.) When it's not sealing a jar, the ring part of the lid also allows you to cut out perfectly circular biscuits from a slab of rolled-out dough. In addition to biscuits, you can also use your Mason jar ring to cut out round cookies. Just use the ring as you would any regular biscuit cutter.

If you don't have any Mason jars, there's no need to go out and buy one simply to cut out biscuits. Any old jar lid can work in a pinch, although if it's a shallow one, you may need to use it as a guide and cut around it with a knife. You can also wash out and repurpose an empty can as a biscuit cutter or use a drinking glass that's been dipped in flour.

Of course, one other option is to cut your biscuits into square, rectangular, or triangular shapes using a knife. The main advantage of doing it this way is that there will be no leftover scraps. Another point in favor of straight-cut biscuits is that, if your knife is sufficiently sharp, it won't squash the dough as much as a biscuit cutter might. This can make for biscuits that rise just a little higher as they bake.

So, when it comes to biscuit cutting, you have options galore. And remember: No matter the shape of your biscuits, whether round, square, or even free-form, they're still going to taste delicious.