How To Make Perfectly Round Cookies

TikTok creator The Subversive Table repurposes a simple kitchen tool — a biscuit cutter — to achieve perfectly round cookies with the ideal texture. Here’s how it works: Right after you pull your cookies out of the oven, place a large biscuit cutter over each cookie and gently swirl it in a circular motion. A few quick spins around the inside of the biscuit cutter will smooth out irregular edges, transforming each cookie (no matter how lopsided) into a uniform circle. The circular motion nudges the edges inward, creating a neater shape without flattening the cookie.

Tip: If you don’t already own a biscuit cutter, you can use a wide-mouth drinking glass, mug, or even Mason jar rings to achieve similar results.

You need to act fast, though. The cookies are only pliable while warm; that’s when the edges are soft enough to mold. Once cooled, they’ll retain that perfect roundness.

Not only does this technique create beautifully formed cookies, but it also results in a satisfying texture. Because you’re not pressing down on the cookie, the interior remains soft and chewy while the edges stay delightfully crisp.

With just a few spins around a biscuit cutter or another round item, you’ll create cookies with a classic homemade taste and a bakery-worthy appearance. Here’s betting your kids, friends, and co-workers alike will be asking for another batch of freshly baked (and perfectly round) cookies soon.

How To Store Lemons

The question of storage really boils down to how many lemons you buy at a time, and how long you want to keep them. If you only ever buy a few at a time and use them up quickly, long-term storage isn’t really an issue. That’s why chefs seldom refrigerate citrus fruits; they keep well at room temperature, and that frees up valuable refrigerator space for more perishable items.

However, if you want to keep your lemons fresh for as long as possible, refrigeration is the best storage method.

With grocery prices being what they are, a great deal on a big bag of lemons is worth taking advantage of. When you bring them home, you can certainly leave a couple out in your countertop fruit bowl. But unless you have plans to use them right away — say, by immediately making several batches of lemon-flavored desserts — the rest should go straight into the fridge, sealed in a plastic bag.

The plastic bag protects your fruit from the dry air of a self-defrosting fridge, but still leaves enough air inside for the fruit to “respire,” meaning air and moisture can pass through its skin. As long as you’re diligent about keeping the bag closed, your lemons should last for up to a month this way.

More Lemon Storage Tips

• If you bought more lemons than you can reasonably use, consider juicing them and freezing the liquid. It will keep for several months in the freezer, as long as it’s stored in airtight packaging.

• You will get more juice from room-temperature lemons than cold ones, so take them out ahead of time or warm them briefly in the microwave.

• Lemon zest is a versatile ingredient, used in everything from baking to cocktails, so don’t waste it. Before you juice a lemon, remove the thin outer layer of peel with a fine grater or peeler, and dry or freeze the zest for later use.

Why would you want to peel and eat an orange in the shower? The benefits go beyond an extra dose of vitamin C.

The Citrus Smell Is Invigorating

Citrus scents are known for their mood-boosting and stress-relieving effects — just what you need when getting ready in the morning or winding down at night. When you peel an orange in a steamy shower, the heat releases essential oils from the zest into the air. This creates a natural, refreshing aromatherapy session. It’s a powerful, zesty burst of freshness that wakes up your senses far better than synthetic scents.

It’s Less Messy

Peeling and eating an orange can be a sticky mess. That’s one reason why the “orange peel theory” went viral on TikTok. The idea is this: You ask a partner to peel an orange for you, and if they respond positively, it indicates a healthy relationship, since they’re happy to perform a mildly annoying act of service.

When you peel an orange, juice squirts in all directions and strings of pith pile up. But in the shower? No mess. Pith and juice wash down the drain, and the peels can be stacked on the shower ledge. Afterward, you can either toss the peels or sprinkle them in your garden to ward off pests. So long, sticky fingers!

It Doubles as a Mini Mindfulness Moment

Shower oranges activate all the senses. Each sensory detail — the relaxing smell of citrus, the soft, rhythmic cascade of water, the feel of the peel — pulls you into the present moment, making for a perfect time to slow down, savor each bite, and set an intention for the day (or night) ahead. It’s an opportunity to enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures.

You’ll Feel Like a Kid Again

Eating an orange in the shower is admittedly silly. It feels like breaking a rule, yet it’s harmless and wholesome — a welcome reprieve from the everyday duties of adulthood. Not only will your bathroom smell like a citrus grove, but your mood will be lightened too. You have nothing to lose by trying a shower orange, except any stress you step into the shower with.