National homemade cookie day: Useful tips to make that cookie special

(CNN) -- Grab the milk - October 1 is National Homemade Cookie Day!

There's something seriously satisfying about dunking a homemade cookie into a tall glass of cold milk. Knowing that the plate before you is piled high with mini labors of love is up there on the "things to make you happy" list.

Cookies are not particularly hard to make, but perfecting the technique can take some practice. Here are some hopefully useful tips:

- Take the time to make sure your ingredients are room temperature. Butter and eggs can sit on the kitchen counter overnight without catastrophe.

- To ensure even sizing, use a small ice cream scoop to portion out your cookies. This will help them all bake evenly.

- Speaking of cooking evenly, most ovens have one spot or side that cooks faster than the other. If this is the case for you, rotate your cookies half way through baking.

- Don't forget to use a non-stick spray or wax paper to prevent your morsels from sticking. There's nothing worse than cookies stuck to the pan.

- Be patient! Let the cookies cool after baking. Use a spatula to move them from the baking sheet to a wire rack.

- For chewy cookies, pull them out a minute or two shy of the recommended baking time. The patience rule still applies though.

- While it may be delicious, don't eat too much of the raw cookie dough. It'll leave you with a stomach ache and is potentially hazardous to your health.

 
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