Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heat the oven to 375F (190C)

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Whisk the dry ingredients

Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl so the leavening is spread evenly. Set it aside.

Cream the butter and sugars

Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Stop when the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl once partway through.

Add the eggs and vanilla

Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one disappears before adding the next. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds more. The batter should look smooth and glossy, not curdled.

Mix in the flour and chips

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Overmixing at this stage makes tough cookies, so stop as soon as the chips are distributed.

Scoop the dough

Portion the dough into balls of about 3 tablespoons each and set them 2 inches apart on the sheets, 12 per sheet. Chilling the scooped dough for 30 minutes gives thicker cookies with less spread, but it is optional.

Bake until the edges are golden

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are set and golden brown and the centers still look slightly underbaked and pale. They firm up as they cool.

Cool on the sheet

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Pulling them off too soon leaves the centers bent and broken.

Storage. Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Scooped raw dough freezes well for up to 3 months; bake from frozen and add 2 minutes.