Coppersmith Michael Bonne is the fourth in my Sunday series featuring American Artisans. There are so many exceptionally talented craftspeople across the country who share a love of all things handmade, and this is my chance to introduce them to you. These artisans are creating beautiful and useful products that elevate the experience of everyday cooking and eating, and they’re using skills and techniques that might otherwise be lost in our era of throwaway mass production. Their work makes me happy, and I hope it does the same for you. Each feature will be paired with a giveaway to give you the chance to experience their work for yourselves. I’ll be doing these features every other Sunday for the foreseeable future, so be sure to check back, and enjoy!
Today we’re heading down to Florida to the studio of Michael Bonne who makes charming folk art style cookie cutters from sheets of solid copper. We’ve not only made a virtual sweep across the country so far, from California, to Texas, Vermont, and now Florida, but we’ve also sampled a wide variety of skills and media. Michael has 30 plus years of working with copper, and he has a passion for doing it the old fashioned way, using vintage tools and authentic early metalworking techniques to sculpt his unique cookie cutters. Former clients include almost every major department store and home decor catalog —- Disney, Williams Sonoma, The Smithsonian, The Museum of American Folk Art, Eddie Bauer, and Smith and Hawkins to name a few. He has even been commissioned by the White House! And it was Martha Stewart herself who called Michael “America’s Favorite Coppersmith.” His early work is already highly collectible on the secondary market, and at the end of the post you’ll get the chance to win one of his very special custom made pieces. Michael is a true artist, and I’m beyond excited to be able to introduce him to you.
Cookie cutter art — it sounds unlikely until you experience the work of Michael Bonne. Michael shapes his cookie cutters out of sheets of solid copper, using authentic antique methods and tools, some of which date back to the 1830s. He got his start working with metals in high school, and with a natural passion for history, and a lucky purchase of a set of antique metal working tools, he embarked on a 30 year career creating beautiful and useful copper art. His work has a charming primitive, folk art look — the hen, above, is based on an antique chocolate mold — but there’s also a quirky, off beat side to his designs, with literally something for everybody in the over 300 pieces in his collection (you can see it by clicking here) from cute chicks to ravens and skeletons.
The cookie cutters are formed around a pattern individually, so each one will be slightly different, and the hand of the artist is evident in every bend and turn of the metal. These cutters have a weighty, substantial feel to them and they brilliantly illustrate how a beautiful, well made kitchen tool can replace countless throwaway items, function better, and can give back so much pleasure over time. So many of us have a stashes of cheap, plastic cookie cutters crammed into drawers and cupboards…I say trade it all in for a few special pieces that will be handed down through the generations, and can become your ‘signature’ cookies over the years. Build your collection little by little until you have one for every occasion.
I like the idea of marking the changing of the seasons by bringing out the appropriate cutters and making cookies! Kids and grand-kids will remember those moments forever.
The solid copper backs, and the large handles stamped with the artist’s mark help elevate these these everyday objects into collectable heirlooms. They’re definitely too pretty to shove in a drawer, and they make out-of-the-ordinary wedding or baby shower gifts. You could set up a new bride and groom up for a lifetime of baking with a set of seasonal pieces. Or attach one to a batch of cookies for an extra special thank you.
Some of my personal favorites from Michael’s collection are the folk art style trees, I love their quirky shapes and they make fantastic Christmas cookies. Michael suggests decorating the dapper Scottie dog, above, with a plaid bow for the holidays!
These cookie cutters are sizable, and make nice big cookies. They’re perfect for sugar cookie or gingerbread dough, but you can also think outside the box and use them to cut sliced cheese or bread.
I think a nutty pecan shortbread is perfect for my woodland squirrel…
and although my cookies have a rustic look, you can of course go the whole Martha Stewart route and use sugar cookie dough and royal icing for really spectacular results.
Nutty Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup pecan halves, crushed
Instructions
- set oven to 350F
- Cream the butter and the sugar together.
- Blend in the almond extract, and the flour until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the crushed pecans.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and bring together with your hands. Form into a flat disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out your cookies.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until slightly golden. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a rack.
Michael does custom pieces too, and we thought it would be fun to give away a custom made cookie cutter made from your child’s hand print. Stamped with a name and date, I can imagine this cookie cutter inspiring a new generation of bakers.
Michael is generously giving away a custom made hand-print cookie cutter to one lucky reader. This will be custom made to the exact print of your child’s, or grandchild’s, hand and stamped with the name and date.
To enter, please visit Michael’s Etsy shop, HERE, and sign up on my email list HERE…
If you are already on the mailing list, you’re good to go.
(Giveaway ends Friday March 20th.)
The winner of the giveaway is Susan Sears – congratulations Susan!
NOTE: my mailing list will not be shared with anyone, and is only used to send out notifications of new posts, and our weekly newsletter. From time to time I will be including subscriber only recipes and perks. You can unsubscribe at any time. I have not been compensated in any way by the artisans in this series.
he sells them on his FB page him and his wife run – he’s very engaged with the community and still making cutters
Oh my goodness! I am thrilled! I have Michael’s copper pound cake pan. I have had it for years and years! Literally hundreds of cream cheese pound cakes! My friends and family covet it! I am so excited to maybe be able to surprise my daughter with her own pan!
Is there a phone number or website I could contact? Thank you so much!
He seems to have gone out of business since I did this post, Dottie, but another reader has spotted him on facebook, so try looking for him there.
Mike is on FB. His wife does most of the chatting on there. They both had c-19 and are recovering. I don’t know if he still dabbles in copper. He began metal working in high school. He made some pretty neat things in shop class. I was amazed at what he made. Anyway, he’s at retirement age. All of us are that hung out together in high school. I haven’t spoken to him in a few years. Time goes by fast as we get older!
How do I order cookie cutters from Michael Bonne? I cannot locate a webpage for Mr. Bonne. Thank you
Sadly I think he has discontinued his website Zulema.
Hello’ i just saw your message. Actually Michael and Teresa Bonne started their business up again on FB. Search for Michael Bonne in the Search bar and join their group. They are always adding new pics of older style cutters, plus, they began making what they call, “Good Little Things” which are cutters about 1/2 the size of the originals—very cute indeed! You would need to message them for pricing.
Oh cool! Thanks so much for letting me know.
I know you posted this in 2015…just found it. Mike and I were buddies in high school. I remember when he made his first metal sculpture. It was a very cool looking tractor. Then he made an airplane for a friend. Years ago he gave me a crooked shaped heart pan made from copper. it has a crooked little house, crooked little man, crooked little dog, and a crooked little path etched on the back. he also gave me a tiny cutter in the shape of a heart, made from scrap copper. he called it the “diet” cookie cutter !
He’s so talented, I love this story Ruth!
I discovered Michael Bonne’s copper items at a craft fair in the mid-1980s. I had a small gift shop in Indiana at the time and bought as much from Michael as I could. It sold just as fast as I put it in the shop!
I often went on buying trips to Ohio and always stopped at Michael’s studio in Knightstown on the way home to restock my shop.
I wish I would have kept more of Michael’s awesome work for myself, but his large heart tray still hangs in my kitchen!
They’re collector’s items for sure Tana!
Michael Bonne’s cookie cutters are hard to find. Not too many available. I have a few copper cookie cutters and I treasure them.
Yes, since I did this feature I think his shop has closed, it’s a shame.
Does Michael Bonne exist anywhere for purchases? I have many of his items and was saddened to find his Knightstown location closed. I tried to sign up for his Etsy mailing list, but it too is closed. Used to spend wonderful time shopping at both of his Knightstown locations. ANY information would be appreciated.
I believe he’s gone out of business, Sharon, it’s so sad. There are other places to find really nice sturdy copper cookie cutters, though. Check Etsy and Amazon, if you haven’t already.
I just bought 2. That cute little bunny, and a Christmas tree..thanks so much for the heads up!
Love copper cookie cut outs perfect for my grandchild