I really like the NFSC but don't always get a flat surface as much as I would like which is necessary to ice a pretty cookie. Should I be flipping the cookie over and using the opposite side or is there another trick to get a nice totally flat surface?

I don't use this recipe but I know what you mean. As soon as your cookies come out of the oven, take your spatula/pancake turner and flatten them. You might get a line if your cookie is wider than your spatula but just kinda smooth it and it will disappear. Alternatively you could use a cookie spatula if you have one of those. Then your cookies will be nice and flat. HTH

I ice the backside all the time. When I was a kid, the only bakery in town did their iced cookies this way so I didn't think anything of doing it this way. I've only had one person ask why I iced the back and when I said, "because it's a flat surface", she understood.

Thanks for replying. I will try both ways and see what works

If you freeze the cookie dough before baking - after rolling and cutting - they don't rise as much. It won't give you a perfectly flat surface, but still better.

I read on another thread a while back someone sais she rolls over them with her rolling pin right after coming out of the oven. I use NFSC and freeze mine after cutting out, as I dont chill the dough first, they bake nicely. Every once in a while one gets a bump but never enough that I thought I'd need to flatten it out.