Chilling

To place dough in the fridge to firm it up, blend, and develop the flavors, let the moisture fully incorporate into the dry ingredients, and let the glutens relax—er, chill. Most cookie doughs will be stiff enough to work with after 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge (or about half that time in the freezer), but the best flavors develop when the dough is left for 2 hours or up to a full day.