Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone needs one reliable chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this is the one: the back-of-the-bag classic with the proportions dialed in. No browned butter, no overnight rest required, no specialty ingredients. Just soft centers, crisp edges, and plenty of chocolate.

The only thing that really matters here is not overbaking. Cookies keep cooking on the hot sheet after they leave the oven, so the trick is to take them out while the middles still look a touch raw.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir into the wet mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets.
7. Bake 9–11 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers still look slightly underdone.
8. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack, where they finish setting as they cool.

Equipment

• Two baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowls