There are basically six major kinds of cookies:

Bar Cookies are made from a soft dough that is usually spread in a pan. They can be crisp or chewy. They can also be filled or layered. Brownies are really a bar cookie. They are soft and chewy and can be in many flavors - they do not have to be chocolate.

Drop Cookies are really the easiest kind of cookie to make. They are usually made from a soft dough that is dropped from a spoon in spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.

Cut Out Cookies are made from a stiff dough that are usually rolled out into a thick or thin sheet and then cut into a shape with a knife or with a cookie cutter.

Molded Cookies, Shaped Cookies, Pressed Cookies are made out of a stiff dough as well into logs, crescents, balls or they can be pressed flat with a fork or the bottom of a glass. Cookies can also be shaped by using a cookie gun or press like spritz cookies.

Sliced Cookies are usually referred to as refrigerator cookies. These cookies are also made from a stiff dough that is usually shaped into a long roll and chilled in the refrigerator. They are then sliced and baked.

No Bake Cookies - Although technically not a type of cookie, these cookies do not require the use of an oven. They are usually quite rich and taste more like a candy.