Making the perfect cookie

Cookies never go out of style, especially during the holidays. They are a sweet tradition, whether they're warm from the oven with a glass of milk, displayed decadently on party platters, or packed into tins and sent halfway across the globe.

They also offer historical perspective, from great-grandma's gingerbread cookies, to modern-day recipes that can be vegan, sugar-free or gluten-free.

Wendy Paul of West Jordan took these dietary restrictions to heart with her new book "101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone." She has plenty of decadent, "forget the calories" cookies, but she also has recipes for "Watching Your Waistline," "Gluten-Free and Flavorful" and "Surprisingly Vegan."

"When I did my last cookbook, '101 Cupcakes,' the number one question I got was about whether you could make them gluten-free," Paul said. "So for my follow-up book, I wanted to include gluten-free recipes."

After baking thousands of cookies, Paul has the following tips for cookie-bakers:

1. To make a really good cookie taste even better, chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or overnight. "The cookies will stay plump and fluffy when the butter is more solidified," Paul said. "You'll have to plan ahead for that hour's time."

2. If the recipe calls for butter, use real butter, not a low-calorie margarine or spread. They contain water and additives, so you won't get the same results. "There's something about butter than makes it bake better," said Paul. "I know people want to be health conscious, but if you limit yourself to just a few cookies, it's not that bad."

3. Use a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop) so the cookies are uniform in size and bake evenly.

4. To keep your cookies from going rock-hard, pull them out of the oven when they're slightly underdone, and the center is still soft. "Then let them sit on the cookie sheet for two or three minutes to finish cooking without the high heat."

5. Frozen assets. Most cookie dough freezes well for up to three months. Just thaw the dough in the refrigerator until it's soft enough to use; then follow the recipe directions for baking.

6. If the recipe calls for seven to 10 minutes of baking time, set your timer for seven minutes. Then check your cookies every minute after that until the edges are lightly golden. Cookies can go from underdone to done in less than one minute.