This article is your secret weapon for baking delicious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies every time. We'll ditch the confusing recipes and complicated techniques. This is your easy guide to baking perfect cookies, even if you're a beginner in the kitchen. Get ready to impress your friends and family with gooey, irresistible cookies that will have them begging for more!

Ingredients:

- 250g all-purpose flour (T45-T55)

- 3g (1/2 tsp) salt or sea salt

- 6g (1 tsp) baking soda or baking powder

- 160g (2/3 cup) melted butter

- 100g (1/2 cup) sugar

- 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar or muscovado sugar

- 1 large egg

- 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

- 200g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional Ingredients:

- Crushed nuts

- Chocolate chips

- Soft caramel pieces

- Dried fruits

Utensils:

- Large bowl

- Whisk

- Spatula

- Ice cream scoop or small glass

- Baking sheet

- Parchment paper

- Plastic wrap

- Cooling racks

Recipe:

1. Preparing the base dough:

  - Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

2. Preparing the creamy texture:

   - Mix the melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar in another container until creamy.

3. Incorporating eggs and vanilla:

   - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, then mix well.

4. Incorporating the dry mixture:

   - Add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and mix until incorporated.

5. Adding optional ingredients:

   - Incorporate optional ingredients, such as crushed nuts, chocolate chips, soft caramel pieces, or dried fruits.

6. Chilling the dough:

   - Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

7. Shaping and baking the cookies:

   - Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   - Use an ice cream scoop for small cookies or a small glass for large cookies.

   - Form equal-sized dough balls and space them on the baking sheet.

   - Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, checking from 8 minutes onwards.

   - Cookies are ready when the edges are slightly golden but soft in the center.

Important Notes:

After removing the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool on cooling racks to solidify while retaining their softness.

- The dough can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months for future use.