Since baking requires scientific precision, deviating even slightly from your recipe can result in a big disappointment. However, you can sometimes get away with substituting ingredients or equipment in a pinch, and if your cookie recipe calls for cookie sheets, but you only have baking sheets, here's how to adjust your technique.

You can use a rimmed baking sheet instead of a cookie sheet to bake your cookies, but baking sheets don’t allow as much airflow. A flat cookie sheet allows heated air to flow over and around the cookies so that they bake evenly, and to get similar results with a baking sheet, simply bake your batch for one minute longer than called for.

A unique benefit of baking sheets is that they're sturdier than cookie sheets, and the rimmed edge ensures that your cookies won't slide around and end up on the floor when you take them out of the oven. Just remember to keep your extra baking time to one minute, and keep an eye on the cookies to measure their doneness.