How can I keep the bottoms of my cookies from coming out burned? The first batch is usually ok but the following batches usually end up burned on the bottom. What is the secret? Parchment paper?? A certain cooking spray?? Please help!

Since your first batch is not burned, my guess is that you need to let the oven come back up to temp before putting in the next batch. You can also double-pan your cookies to help cut down on bottom heat.

Try using two cookie sheets, so one can cool down while the other one is in the oven.

You can also underbake a little bit and then let them firm up as they cool.

Try to put baking powders under cookies thay will not get burned so much.

I have four or five baking sheets that I use. I have an assembly line of sorts. I put parchment on each one, stack them up, and as one sheet gets full I move to the next. When one or two come out of the oven, I put more in. I move the cookies to a rack and let the sheets cool off for a bit before doing the next one. Then I re-line with parchment and start all over. It's all a very fluid process.

I like using parchment because the cookies don't stick (most of my recipes don't require spray anyway) and you can use sugars and other things to decorate the dough before it's baked, without having to clean burned sugar and sprinkles off the sheets.

Make sure your sheets are ok too. I use Air Bake sheets that I bought at Wal Mart a hundred years ago. They are completely flat except for one edge and they are insulated.

parchment paper and an oven thermometer