How many of you have ever fired a cookie gun?
Copycat thread time!
(original is in GD)
= new reply since forum marked as read
I watched at point blank range! Couldn't have been more than 18 inches away!
Guess i'm far braver than you!
But it's a PITA to clean and the cookie dough is hard to get just right. My preferred cookie methods are 1) scoop the dough out with a small ice cream type scoop or 2) roll the dough up into a log, chill, then slice. With the second method I can roll the log in demara sugar and get really nice crunchy edges. 
because you can also divide the dough to flavor or color parts of it, and then roll/shape those together for your cookies. That's how you can do checkerboard, and other patterns 
If have any restaurant supply stores around, get the scoops that are measured. They work great for making different yet equally-sized cookies.
Try sanding sugar, too. Bigger grains, so there might be more of the sugar crystal left after baking.
The last cookies I made were oatmeal, and I used my semi-large cookie scoop for them. The recipe came from the Cooks' Illustrated Baking Book. Yet again, the recipe turned out perfectly on the first try
And I can pretend they're good for me with all that oatmeal and nuts. 
I spent yesterday recovering from my spider attack. I've even named the dead spider - he's Franco. And he's still dead.
I'll start transcribing the recipe then. They have some good variations, and I did one the last time I made it: roasted almonds and orange zest in place of the raisins
