PREPARING COOKIES: 1). Read the entire recipe before beginning to make sure you have everything needed. 2). Measure all ingredients accurately and assemble in order given in recipe. 3). Prepare pans according to recipe directions. Use only solid shortening or margarine for greasing pans. 4). Cookie sheets with little or no sides will allow cookies to bake quickly and evenly. Aluminum or teflon coated pans give the best results. Dark metal pans cause cookies to have an undesirable dark crust. 5). Adjust racks and preheat oven about 10 minutes before you begin baking cookies. 6). Easy does it when adding flavorings and colorings to cookie dough. Pour mixtures into measuring spoon away from batter in bowl so if excess spills out it will not ruin the dough. 7). Use standard measuring cups for all dry ingredients. Use glass or plastic liquid measuring cups with pouring spout to measure liquid ingredients. Place the cup on a flat surface, fill to desired mark and check at eye level. 8). Use standard measuring spoonsto measure, not eating or serving spoons. For dry ingredients, fill spoons to overflowing and level off with straight edge of metal spatula or knife. 9). Lightly spoon flour into correct measuring cup and then level it off. Do not tap or bang the cup nor dip it into the flour. This will pack the flour, giving more than needed. Too much flour will make dry cookies.