Hand-shaped cookies are so named because they are formed by hand and not using any special tools. Usually they are molded into small balls or rolled into rope shapes, sometimes twisted into pretzels or formed into wreaths. Most of these cookies retain much of their shape after baking, although generally soften somewhat in shape. For example, perfectly spherical balls of dough when baked resemble rounded domes when removed from the oven. For the best holiday cookie plate presentation of your hand-shaped cookies, attempt to make them all uniform in size and shape (although when they are not, they will be just as much appreciated!). For the tenderest cookies, handle the dough as little as possible.