• Preparing Your Ingredients

  Before you start mixing, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This is especially important for the butter and eggs, as they'll blend more easily and create a smoother dough.

Mixing the Dry Ingredients

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside for now.

Creaming the Butter and Sugars

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Stir in the vanilla extract.

Combining Wet and Dry Ingredients

• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
• Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, ensuring they're evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Chilling the Dough

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This step is crucial as it allows the flavors to meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Baking the Cookies

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centers still look slightly underbaked.
• Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.