What shape is this cookie cutter? No gamble is half-baked.

During the holidays last year, people visited a baking forum on Reddit with two million members to share a photo and ask a burning question: What the heck is this cookie cutter supposed to be?

The serious answers often helped clear up the bakers’ confusion. Soon, however, the messages surfaced so frequently that one member created a subreddit dedicated to unraveling such mysteries.

The forum on Reddit is called r/WhatIsMyCookieCutter, and its popularity — membership rose to more than 250,000 people this fall — says something about baking. Without packaging or instructions, the shape of a cookie cutter picked up at a thrift store or rescued from the recesses of a cutlery drawer can be difficult to interpret. Is it supposed to be a reindeer? A dinosaur? The state of Wyoming?

There are no wrong answers on r/WhatIsMyCookieCutter. As more members arrived, the group evolved into a self-contained world full of inside jokes and running gags. Others respond to questions by uploading renderings of what a cookie cutter could be, often using a drawing and painting app like Procreate to sketch their whimsical and colorful suggestions.

Over time, these drawings became as much the focus of the subreddit as answering questions about the shapes. One person will find a rose in each cookie cutter. Another sees nothing but pineapples. Recently the account from the “I’m Just a Bill” segment on “Schoolhouse Rock!” has made cameo appearances.

“This sub used to have a very specific purpose, which was to identify the shapes of the more unique cookie cutters out there,” says Tes Reilly of Washington, DC, an avid cookie decorator and one of seven current moderators. from the subreddit. “It was practical.”

Now, “people are not here because they are avid cookie-cutter users with pressing questions,” added Ms. Reilly, a doctoral candidate in media psychology, “but because the drawings are hilarious, the inside jokes comforting, the attitude is always positive and despite its size or shape, it is a very real, very meaningful community.”

You spent so much time trying to find a way to virtually bring in the state of Wyoming each form Posted that she felt obliged to one formal farewell last month when the subreddit became too much of a distraction. “I am saddened to announce that I will no longer be posting in Wyoming,” she wrote. “But I will definitely come by again.” The post received thousands of votes and hundreds of comments.

Another drew a rose in so many shapes like cookie cutters that the image became a kind of symbol for the community, inspiring bakers to recreate it in their icing designs. “In honor of our special friend,” one message readsaccompanied by nine cookies, all decorated with icing that resembles the flower.

“Reddit and Reddit users generally get a bad rap on other social media platforms, but this subreddit proves how healthy users can be,” says Angelina Cannon, who lives in Middlesex County, NJ. Ms. Cannon said she didn’t have much baking experience, but was drawn to the subreddit after following similar identification forums, such as r/WhatIsThisThing.

“I really wasn’t expecting all the art when I joined, but it definitely kept me interested,” she said.

There are a few rules. The first is that every message must be related to a cookie cutter; another bans the sale of cookie cutters. The moderators try not to suppress creativity and fun, with the aim of maintaining a lively atmosphere.

“I’ve been part of communities where the moderators are too strict or too strict,” says Garyn Greene of Ohio, who recently joined the group’s moderation team after noticing the subreddit’s rising popularity. “I like to make sure it is what the community wants it to be.”

Even with the self-referential jokes, open lines, and growing sense of camaraderie, the subreddit still serves its original purpose. Last month, for example, a baker posted a photo of the only cookie cutter they had yet to identify from a set. People populated the comments with drawings of a giraffe, a check engine light and of course a pineapple. Many were surprised to hear that a sewing machine was the right answer.

Not everyone appreciates the turn the group has taken, but according to the moderators there are few negative reactions. To keep people involved, there are plans for competitions and online events.

Whether you see roses on a Christmas tree or Wyoming in a circle, Ms. Reilly said there’s one thing everyone can agree on this holiday season: “I mean, who doesn’t love cookies?”