By Haley ScarpinoI love to cook, whether making myself a coffee and a perfect piece of toast or making my friends and family a big meal. However, nothing brings me more joy than baking — and, of course, eating baked goods.I also love the precision of baking, but it can be frustrating. You buy all the ingredients, get out the stand mixer, line the sheet pans, measure and mix the ingredients only for your cookies to spread into one giant burned mess. And then, you still have to clean up. The worst!Here are a few helpful tips to help you avoid common pitfalls and bake the best holiday cookies in town. Read the entire recipe from start to finish. This step is especially important when baking. You’ll sort out all the ingredients, details and timing. It takes just a few minutes and starts you off on the right foot. Put things in place. The French cooking term “mise en place” refers to the simple step of gathering all your equipment and ingredients before you start. Pull out the bowls, the measuring spoons and measuring cups. Then prep and measure all your ingredients. It makes your baking more organized and efficient, and you won’t realize you’re out of eggs halfway through the project. Bring ingredients to room temperature, unless the recipe says otherwise. If they’re too cold, they won’t emulsify properly. (That’s mixing two or more wet ingredients into an emulsion.) So just let your ingredients sit on the counter for an hour or two before you start.   Properly cream the butter and sugar. This is one of the most common mistakes of home baking. Most cookie recipes start by creaming together the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and has doubled in volume. It usually takes 3-5 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of your butter and kitchen. You’ll want to stop mixing two or three times and scrape down the sides of the bowls with a rubber spatula. You can use a stand mixer, a hand mixer (which will take a bit longer) or a plain old spoon (which will take even longer). Once the butter and sugar are creamed, you’ll add the room-temperature eggs, one at a time. If your eggs are cold, they won’t emulsify as well. Even if you use shortening, margarine, oil, or some other fat besides butter, it’s still important to properly cream the fat and sugar. Chill the cookie dough. This is essential. Allowing your cookie dough to chill for even 30 minutes allows the ingredients to “marry” or fully absorb. It also helps to solidify the fat, which prevents the cookies from spreading in the oven. If you can, let the cookie dough chill overnight. They’ll have a deeper flavor and a better texture. Keep in mind: It’s easiest to scoop the cookies at room temperature and then let them chill. You can store scooped cookie dough in the fridge on a sheet pan (if you have the space), on a dinner plate, in a storage container or in a zipper bag. When you’re ready to bake them, just place them on the sheet pans. Bonus tip! Preheat your oven and get an oven thermometer. The oven might run hotter or colder than you think. If you’re looking for great cookie recipes this holiday season, I recommend “100 Cookies” by Sarah Kieffer. You must try the Pan-Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are famous, and for good reason.I also recommend “Cookies” by Zoë François, which is incredibly comprehensive and can answer all your questions about ingredients and equipment. It also includes the most incredible recipes. My personal favorite is the Snickerdoodle recipe.