Few things are more classic than chocolate chip cookies. We grow up with them, we sneak some dough (even though we’re not supposed to), and if we’re next level, there’s a stash of ready-to-go dough in our freezer at all times (I never became this person until a few weeks ago, and you know what…it’s a good life).

Rather than reinvent such a nostalgic treat, I’ve pulled elements from my all-time favorite recipes to create the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. It’s got the perfect blend of sweet and salty, with just the right amount of decadent chocolate. Plus, it can be made in under an hour. That’s right, no need to refrigerate the dough overnight because let’s be real - there are few times in life when you realize you want cookies AND had the planning prowess to start them the day before. Sometimes you just need a cookie. And you need it now.

You can thank Nestle, Doughbies, and Pinch of Yum for the delicious inspiration each brought to this recipe. And a special shout-out to my Chief Taste Tester, my hubby, because it definitely took 10 rounds and a whole lot of taste testing to get this recipe just right. I still don’t think he looks at chocolate chip cookies the same way, but these are so good, he’ll get over it.

Ingredients

Recipe yields approximately two dozen cookies.

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt + extra to sprinkle on top of each cookie (you can use table salt, sea salt, or my personal favorite - pink Himalayan salt)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup salted butter, cold (aka straight from the refrigerator)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 large egg, cold (aka straight from the refrigerator)

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl or Kitchen-aid mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugars for 30 seconds, starting on low speed (with a towel over your bowl to catch any pieces that try to fly out), gradually working your way up to high speed. Your mixture should look crumbly vs. smooth and creamy.

4. Add egg and vanilla, mixing on medium speed until combined.

5. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough just starts to come together. Add your chocolate chips (or chunks) and continue to mix on low speed until they’re evenly distributed and a crumbly dough has formed. Do not over mix.

6. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, create balls of cookie dough approximately 1 tablespoon big. Place on a baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart.

7. Sprinkle the top of each with a pinch of salt before placing in the oven.

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges just start turning golden.

9. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool further.

Recipe Notes

• The key to this recipe is keeping the dough cool. Keep your butter and eggs in the refrigerator until you need them, and if you have extra dough, place it in the refrigerator until it’s ready to bake. Why’s that important you ask? We want to keep the fat in the cookies solidified. As the cookies bake, the chilled fat takes longer to melt, and the longer the fat remains solid, the less the cookies spread.

• If you want to use pink Himalayan sea salt, my go-to spot to get it is Trader Joes - it comes in a cute grinder for less than $5.

• You may be wondering, what’s the deal with all these different types of salts? Well, different salts have different mineral compositions and textures. Sea salt and pink Himalayan salt have more minerals than table salt, impacting their flavor (i.e. it’s less sharp than pure sodium chloride). Additionally, pink Himalayan salt is dryer compared to the level of moisture found in sea salt. As a result, when baked, the pink Himalayan salt tries to pull moisture in from the things around it, allowing it to dissolve more easily.