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Cookie types are usually categorized by the way they are formed. They range from those soft enough to drop to those stiff enough to shape into a roll an slice for baking. Between these extremes is dough which is spread in the pan and cut after baking, dough just stiff enough to roll and those which are molded with a cookie press or mold. In addition, some cookie types are subtypes of others.
BARS & SQUARES: Bar cookies are generally made from a fluid batter, such as the most popular one, the Brownie. It is spread in a pan, then baked, cooled, and often stored right in the pan. In this way they are the simplest of cookies, requiring little handling. Other bar cookies, such as Lemon Bars, uses the "baking blind" technique, popular for making tarts. After preparing the crust in the pan, the crust is baked without filling to avoid the bottom from being soggy. The filling is then placed on top of the hot crust and returned to the oven for additional baking. No Bake Cookies can be made into bars.
| Appearance | Bars Even height No thin, crisp top crust, except for fudge brownies |
| Texture | Rich and moist Some can be drier and crispy or crunchy |
COOKIES
Dropped: Some of the most popular cookies are made from this batter that is simply dropped from a spoon or a portion control scoop onto a baking sheet. The batter contains just enough flour so it won't spread. One of the most popular types is the Chocolate Chip Cookie. Others are Oatmeal Raisin, Cowboy Cookies and Snickerdoodles.
Icebox / Refrigerator: Some cookies are cut from a cookie dough log, using the same kind of dough used for rolled cookies. Pressed: The dough for pressed cookies is viscous or has a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid, perfect for pressing through a cookie press or piped through a pastry bag. Examples are ladyfingers, which are actually created from piped genoise sponge cake batter, macaroons and Russian Tea or Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies. Spritz cookies are made from dough that is forced through a cookie press.
Molded: Molded cookies are made from a stiff dough that is formed by hand into little balls, crescents, canes, and other shapes
before being placed on the baking sheet. Peanut butter cookies are popular examples or molded cookies, as are biscotti.Rolled: They are made from slightly heavier dough than molded cookies, the most common type being the sugar and shortbread cookies. The dough is chilled and then rolled on a countertop dusted with as little flour possible. The cookies are then cut in shapes, many times with cookie cutters. Other popular types are gingerbread and linzer cookies, sables and Mandelbrot.
| Appearance | Uniform shape Even contour Uniform color Ingredients evenly mixed May be larger due to greater spread |
| Texture | Characteristic of type — soft or crisp Refrigerator cookies may not be crisp. |
| Tenderness | Breaks apart easily when chewed Not crumbly or hard |
| Flavor | Pleasing, well blended Free of unpleasant or distracting flavors |
SPECIAL COOKIE TOPICS
Specialty cookies: These get their distinct, well-defined shapes from special tools. French Madeleines are baked in Madeleine plaques; spicy Dutch speculaas are pressed into carved wooden molds; Swedish spritz cookies are formed into wreaths, ribbons, rosettes and other shapes using a cookie press fitted with a decorative template; German springerle are formed using a special carved rolling pin. The dough is stamped with the design, cut out and then allowed to dry overnight to set the design before the cookies are baked. 
Holiday cookies: Holidays are often celebrated with special cookies of their own. The Greek Easter cookies, koulourakia, for example, are one of the traditional foods used to break the Easter fast. Haman's Pockets (also known as Hamantaschen) are the traditional sweets of the festive Jewish holiday, Purim. In addition, as would be expected, the baking and sharing of Christmas cookies is an age-old custom in many countries through the world.
No bake cookies: No-bake cookies are are those that do not require an oven. They can be made from ready-to-eat cereals, such as Rice Krispies Treats, oatmeal, nuts, dry fruit, or coconut, and held together with a cooked syrup or heated sugar base such as melted marshmallows and butter. Some resemble candies. They are a nice, easy way to make a sweet treat or top off a cookie tray.
Cookies Made From a Baking Mix: With a baking mix as the base, all sorts of cookies can be made. The real benefit is that they are so easy to make, along with being simply delicious.
Cookie Mixes in a Jar: For gift giving, cookie mixes in a jar, are so popular. What you do is layer all of the dry ingredients in the recipe and attach baking instructions. It includes combining the ingredients in the jar with perishable ones found at home, such as eggs, milk, etc to bake cookies.
