Although every cookie has similar basic ingredients, including butter (or another fat), sugar, eggs, and flour, the method for making cookie dough can vary per recipe. We'll show you the six most important steps common to most cookie dough recipes. Use these tips and you'll have cookie sucess every time! You'll learn how to look at an ingredients list to see if it will result in a cookie type that you love. If thin and crispy cookies are your favorite, chances are the recipe is made with all or mostly butter for the fat. If soft and cakelike is what you're looking for, the recipe probably uses all or mostly shortening. Be sure to check out the videos below that will show you how to shape your dough and change the stir-ins to make every cookie your own.