1-First Step: Prep the oven and pans Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper so the cookies bake evenly and release easily. This small step makes cleanup much easier too.

2-Second Step: Mix the dry ingredients In a medium bowl, mix together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Stir until the dry ingredients look evenly blended. This helps the leavening and salt spread through the dough the right way.

3-Third Step: Cream the butter and sugars In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup softened salted butter with 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar until combined and fluffy. The mixture should look smooth and creamy. This step adds air and gives the cookies a soft texture.

4-Fourth Step: Add eggs and vanilla Beat in 2 large eggs and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Mix just until everything is combined. The dough should look rich and glossy at this stage.

5-Fifth Step: Add the dry ingredients Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix, because that can make the cookies tough. A few streaks of flour are fine as long as they disappear soon after mixing.

6-Sixth Step: Fold in the chocolate chips Gently fold in 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Use a spatula or wooden spoon so the chips stay whole and the dough stays thick. If you want a few extra chips on top, save a small handful for later.

7-Seventh Step: Shape the dough Roll 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough into balls and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets. A cookie scoop is a great help here because it keeps the cookies the same size. Even-sized cookies bake more evenly and look prettier too.

8-Eighth Step: Bake just until set Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges just barely start to brown. The centers may still look soft and slightly doughy, and that is exactly what you want. These cookies firm up as they cool, so do not wait until they look fully baked in the oven.

9-Ninth Step: Cool before moving Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. This helps them set without breaking apart, and it keeps the bottoms from getting too dark.