You've Been Making Cookies All Wrong

We hear all the time that baking is a science, which can certainly instill nervous, "I-better-follow-these-directions-to-a-T" feelings. But what if you do everything your cookbook advises, and your cookies still don't spread enough, remaining as little mounds? Pansino says you may just need a little grease—even if the recipe said to use ungreased baking sheets (these guidelines are typical in recipes where the dough has a lot of fat, i.e., butter). Brush some shortening on the pan for your next batch, or coat it with nonstick spray, to facilitate spreading (it won't affect the taste). If you really want to get nerdy, do a test bake with your first batch; grease one half of the sheet and leave the other ungreased, then drop two balls of dough onto each side and see which one turns out the way you like.