17 recipes that prove there’s a cookie for everyone

Who doesn't love a good cookie? From the wholly American chocolate chip to the Italian pizzelle and the Indian-inspired chai-spiced varieties, cookies are a treat around the world. And with so many types of cookies to choose from -- such as the bar, drop, and rolled -- there's a cookie for everyone.

Recipe tips:

Spatula Sense

When making bar cookies like brownies, use a flexible spatula to spread the batter. It'll help you reach into corners and even out the mixture.

Perfect the Drop

This is probably the easiest type of cookie to make. To make cookies that are all the same size, use a fixed measure like a melon baller or an ice cream scooper.

Forming by Hand or by Mold

When precision and uniformity in shape and size are crucial, using your hands is not the right option. The same is true if the cookies require an identical decorative imprint, like Springerles (traditional anise-flavored cookies served in Germany at Christmas). For such cases, use a specially designed mold or rolling pin that will ensure uniformity.

Piping or Pressing

Piped and pressed cookies are known for their highly designed surfaces and shapes. And such characteristics require special equipment. The most well-known pressed cookie is probably the pizzelle. Its thinness and intricate patterns are achieved with a pizzelle press, a piece of equipment that looks like a panini press or waffle maker, depending on the make and model. The Scandinavian spritz is a type of piped cookie. Its unique shapes are the result of dough being piped out of a a cookie press, something that looks like a caulking gun. By changing the tips, shapes and designs can vary.

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Keep It Cool

A lot of cookie doughs can be baked as soon as they've been made, but some require at least a couple of hours in the fridge. This ensures that the dough holds its shape and allows the flavors of ingredients (such as dried fruits, nuts, spices, and candies) to infuse the dough.

No-Stick Cookie Cutting

Cookie cutters allow for an infinite number of shapes. To prevent the dough from sticking to the cutters, occasionally dip them in flour.

Classics

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

Andy's Oatmeal Cookies

Gingerbread Snowflakes

Bar Cookies

Deep Chocolate Brownies

Lemon Bars

Refrigerated Cookies

Spiced Icebox Butter Cookies

Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

Drop Cookies

Cranberry-Orange Drop Cookies

Aunt Maude's Chocolate Drop Cookies

Molded and Hand-Formed Cookies

Madeleines

Shortbread Rings (gh'raybeh)

Rolled Cookies

Alphabet Cookies

Ginger-Orange Stars

Piped and Pressed Cookies

Spritz Christmas Wreath Cookies

Five-Spice Cones



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