Molded

The first part of this procedure (steps 1 and 2) is simply a fast and fairly accurate way of dividing the dough into equal portions. Each piece is then molded into the desired shape. For some traditional cookies, special molds are used to flatten the dough and, at the same time, stamp a design onto the cookie. The use of such molds gives this procedure its name. However, today a more usual method is to flatten the pieces of dough with a weight rather than a special mold.

The pieces may also be shaped by hand into crescents, fingers, or other shapes.