soften butter (no substitues please), cream well with sugar. Depending on cookie recipe, this creaming can take several minutes, I use a mixer. Add other ingredients as directed. Please follow recipes closely. Bake at recommended temperature.
Cakieness? Sounds like an ingredient issue, or a recipe issue to me.
Any cookie recipe that has a liquid in it, like water, milk, sour cream, applesauce, pumpkin, etc., will probably or more often than not make it cake-like.
65 g (2 oz) butter
50 g (1 3/4 oz) soft brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
150 g (5 1/4 oz) plain flour, sieved
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Tube of white Designer Icing (available in Supermarkets)
Edible silver balls (optional)