It’s not hard to make a chocolate chip cookie taste good, but making them bakeshop beautiful isn’t such a snap. You have to start with a good batter. I shared this healthyish chocolate chip cookie recipe last week and for something a little more indulgent, I like this one from Smitten Kitchen. As for how to make pretty chocolate chip cookies? Read on.

Start by Rolling Dough into Balls

Get your pretty on by rolling the dough in the palms of your hands, setting them on a baking sheet, and chilling them for at least a few hours. If you are short on fridge space, you can crowd the balls on a single sheet pan and then separate them once it’s time for baking

Press Down on Cookie Dough

Once your dough is good and cold, use the bottom of a drinking glass or jelly jar to press it into fat discs. Then, into the oven they go. I opt for a lower temperature than the norm, usually 300 to 325 degrees, which seems to prevent the cookies from spreading too thin.Pull the Cookies Out Before They’re Done

About 2/3 of the way into the cooking time, pull the cookies out of the oven. Set a drinking glass or jelly jar that is a little roomier than the cookie over each one and move it in a circle, gently pressing the edges of each cookie into a perfectly round disc.