1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour (add extra 1/2 cup for more dense cookies)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (or other toppings like M&Ms)
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350oF. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2) Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated (10-15 seconds). If you beat the eggs too long, the cookies will come out stiff.
3) Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle. Add the chocolate chips (or other topping) and incorporate into the dough.
4) Roll the dough into 16 large balls (or 20 smaller ones) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry; the cookies should look just barely golden. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Take them out by the max time even if they do not look done.
5) Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes. They will slowly sink down and become soft. Keep them in an airtight container to retain the softness.
