Ina Garten's Prep Tip For Perfect Cookie Dough

Ina Garten is known for her authentic, unfussy meals that help home cooks create tasty and flavorful weeknight dinners. The Barefoot Contessa also knows a thing or two about comfort food, particularly rich and satisfying desserts. Her Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies from her "Modern Comfort Food" cookbook have quickly become a fan favorite — the recipe is simple enough for novice bakers to follow along with ease and is packed with a balance of sweet brown sugar and bittersweet chocolate.

It should come as no surprise that the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe is one of the most popular in the U.S., with around 7 billion chocolate chip cookies consumed in the U.S. annually, according to ASI Food Safety. But no matter which flavor of cookie is your personal favorite, there are a number of simple tips you can implement to make better cookies, and Garten's trick for perfect cookie dough is one you can't skip.

Once your dough is mixed and ready to go, you may be tempted to pop your cookies into the oven right away. Instead, follow Garten's expert tip, per Food & Wine, and freeze your cookie dough for 15 minutes before baking to ensure even cooking and an out-of-this-world texture.

When preparing her aforementioned Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, Garten recommends using a third of a cup or an ice cream scoop to make 12 rounded scoops of dough, then placing them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and freezing the dough balls for a maximum of 15 minutes prior to baking.

Here's another quick cookie tip: In order to make your homemade cookies taste sweeter, consider adding an unexpected ingredient to upgrade your next batch: salt. Follow this recipe for Easy Chocolate Chunk Cookies – with a dash of sea salt for garnish — for an irresistibly rich and chocolatey cookie.