Over the past few weeks, the Year 9 Food classes have been baking and decorating cookies using their own cookie cutters, which they created using online software and a 3D printer. The aim of this project was to encourage the girls to integrate technology into the kitchen and allow them to be creative. It was designed to be a fun, yet challenging task that required them to be innovative.

This week, we spoke to Year 9 Food student, Georgia Mack, about her experiences with the project. 

What was the aim of this task?
The aim was to develop new skills including the use of 3D printing technology by designing and using our own cookie cutters. The aim was also to identify some challenges and learn how to overcome them, which we did.

What were the steps involved in creating your cookie?
Firstly, we planned which type of cookie we were going to bake. We chose to make a sugar cookie, which was nice and simple. Next, we designed our cookie on a website called Tinkercad, which allowed us to design in a 3D printer format, by making our shape using simpler shapes such as spheres, cubes, triangular prisms, etc. We made the cookie dough in one lesson, baked the cookie in the next lesson and iced the cookie in the final lesson. Before we baked the cookies, the cookie cutter had been printed on the 3D printer and came out really well.

What did you learn?
I learnt how to use Tinkercad and how to design my own 3D object. I also learned lots of tips and tricks from my food partner, Georgia Anderson, who was an expert at cutting cookies, and from our teacher, Mrs Spark. I learnt how to pipe properly with a piping bag, how to colour fondant, how thick a cookie should be to have a good balance between crunch and softness and lots more.

Did you find there were any challenges?
There were definitely challenges, mostly relating to the 3D printing. It was difficult to achieve a perfectly shaped cookie cutter, especially depending on what kind of cutter you wanted to make. It was also difficult to achieve straight lines and certain shapes. The piping was also difficult as it was something I did not have much experience with. It was very messy and time-consuming, but turned out great!

What did you enjoy most about this task and why?
I thoroughly enjoyed the making of the cookie and the piping as well. The cookie was great fun to make and cut out as it was something that I had not done much of before. It was a great feeling knowing that I had made everything myself. I also enjoyed having the freedom to make whichever cookie and cutter I wanted. Overall, this was a great task which I would happily do again.