Please someone help.  Every time I make any sort of chocolate chip or m & m's, they come out flat as a board.  Everything is fresh. I use unsalted butter and sometimes reg. butter.  Could that be a reason? Is there a margarine that I could use just for baking?Anything and everyones output is important. Thank you. I want round nice looking cookies.

Try using half butter/half shortening, instead of all butter.  Margarine will give you the same problem as butter.  Depending how soft or chewy you want them to be, consider using all shortening (butter flavor), and maybe some butter extract if you want that buttery taste.  It's always worked for me.

I use all butter in mine and they don't do that. I think your ratios are off. I'm no expert in these things - I'm sure someone who knows all about it will help you out. Can you post the recipe you're using?

I use this one, and it always turns out like in the picture:

http://www.exclusivelyfood.com.au/2007/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe_24.html

It's in metric, sorry if you're in the US.

I use all butter as well and depending on how I want my cookies to look, I actually press my dough down a little to flatten them.  What is the recipe you are using?  Maybe you have too much butter?  The only other thing I can think to do, is put it in the fridge for awhile until it's very cold and then bake?

Go the half shortening half butter method and you MUST chill the dough at least 6 hours, overnight is better.  Put chilled dough on cold pan.  Warm pans, all butter and too fresh chocolate chip dough are what makes it flatten.  However that's how my mom made them so for myself I sort of like it that way but to sell to others I want them firmer.

The fat is butter melts before the starches in the flour gelatinize.  That's a fancy way of saying your cookies have nothing to hold them up.  That what the starch in the flour does.  Veg shortening has a higher melting temp than butter, so the starches have a chance to "set" (gelatinize) and give the cookie structure.

And try adding more flour. Your dough should be stiff.

Here is recipe that we use...

1.25 cups AP flour

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 tsp baking soda

7 tbsp butter

0.25 cup white sugar

0.25 cup brown sugar

1 room temp egg

1 tbspn vanilla

3 tbspn sour cream 

0.75 cup semi sweet chips

0.75 cup milk chocolate chips

The dough is very stiff... especially after you leave it in the fridge for three hours... the cookie dough we scoop out in little balls and press them down slightly... they do not spread... like the above poster said, place cold dough on cold cookie sheet... I put mine on parchment... bake at 350F for about 15 minutes...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ this will help and still leave you with all butter cookies.  The recipes fall a little short in the flour department.  The batter should be pretty stiff.

I spent over 6 months perfecting the cookie recipe. You need flour! You don't have to half and half. That works, but I don't think it tastes as good as straight butter.

You will eventually get the hang of cookie making, if you do it enough. Its temper mental kinda like butter cream with temperature in your house and so forth. I always always do a single tester cookie too that way you don't waist your dough. This way you can see if you need just a tbs more of flour. You can't always count on the flour amount to be exact every time. Sometimes you need a bit more flour.

Also using a cookie scoop helps it stay cool so the warmth of you hands are warming the dough too much.
 

I am new to cookie making. I used Signature Sweet Shoppe Youtube as my base and worked from there. It is a marvelous cookie. I found if I didn't get them cold into the oven they spread thin. It wasn't the butter or anything else. It is chilling the cookie before you bake it. Goodluck!