Gather
Ingredients
Check things off as they land on the counter.
1× recipe · 1 batch · US measures & grams
Gram equivalents are approximate. Spoon and level the flour; pack the brown sugar. Salt weights assume fine table salt. Eggs stay by count. Keep the same cookie size, oven temperature, and 13–14-minute bake per tray; larger batches need more trays and time.
Make
Method
Prepare the oven and sheet
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a silicone baking mat, or use an ungreased cookie sheet.
Cream the butter and sugars
Cream the soft butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a bowl.
Add the vanilla and eggs
Beat in the vanilla, cold egg and cold egg yolk until the mixture is light and creamy.
Mix the dry ingredients
Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl until evenly distributed.
Combine and add the chips
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Shape the cookies
Form the dough into 1½-inch balls and space them evenly apart, about 12 per standard cookie sheet.
Bake and let set
Bake for 13–14 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cool, hard surface—not a wire rack—and let them cool and firm up completely.
Make it your own
Kitchen notes
Let them finish setting
At 13 minutes, the cookies may not look fully baked. They continue cooking slightly during their 10-minute rest on the baking sheet, then firm up completely as they cool on a cool, hard surface.
Try another flavor
Brandon uses this dough as a base for other flavors and mix-ins. One variation: add ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients, then replace the milk chocolate chips with half white chocolate chips and half Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.