Chocolate Chip Cookies

Instructions

1. 1

   Check your butter: it should give slightly when you press a finger in and leave a dent — soft, but not greasy or melting. Too-soft butter makes flat, greasy cookies. Room temperature eggs matter too; cold eggs can seize the butter.

2. 2

   In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on medium for a full 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl once, until the mixture is noticeably paler and fluffy. This beats air into the dough — don't rush it to 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then the vanilla. Scrape the bowl again.

4. 4

   In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt so the leavening is evenly distributed.

5. 5

   Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on LOW just until the last streak of flour disappears. The moment it's combined, stop — extra mixing develops gluten and makes tough, bready cookies.

6. 6

   Fold in the chocolate with a spatula.

7. 7

   Cover the dough and chill at least 30 minutes — or up to 48 hours. Chilling solidifies the butter (so cookies spread less) and lets the flour hydrate, which deepens the flavor toward toffee. 24-hour dough is visibly and tastably better.

8. 8

   When ready to bake, heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F and line two sheet pans with parchment.

9. 9

   Scoop 2-tablespoon balls (about 45g each) onto the pans, at least 5cm apart — they spread. Top each with a pinch of flaky salt.

10. 10

    Bake one pan at a time for 10–12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway. Pull them when the edges are set and golden but the centers still look puffy and slightly underdone — they are not raw, and they finish setting on the hot pan. Waiting for done-looking centers means overbaked cookies.

11. 11

    Let them cool ON the pan for 5 minutes (they're still cooking), then move to a rack. For picture-perfect rounds, swirl a round cookie cutter around each cookie the moment they come out.

12. 12

    Store in an airtight container up to 4 days — with a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft, if you know that trick.