Preparation

• 1 In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well-blended and fluffy in texture.
• 2 Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• 3 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
• 4 Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
• 5 Stir in the baking pieces and chopped cookie pieces until evenly incorporated.
• 6 Cover cookie dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 7 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 8 Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1-1/2 tablespoons) to scoop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• 9 Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Tip for Success:

• 1 Use quality ingredients. Let's be real here, the quality of your cookies is a direct reflection of the quality of your ingredients. I recommend splurging a bit on butter, vanilla and of course - chocolate.
• 2 Don't overmix the dough. Be sure to combine your wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls before mixing them together. This will help you combine all of the ingredients together quickly and ensure you don't end up with tough cookies.
• 3 Chill your dough. I used to think chilling chocolate chip cookie dough was kind of a waste of precious cookie time. However, now I chill almost every cookie dough I make. Chilling the dough allows the fat (butter) to solidify, so when you bake your cookies, they'll spread less. Chilling also allows the flavors to develop a little more, which is always a good thing!
• 4 Use parchment paper. Not only will this prevent your cookies from sticking to the baking pan, it will also make clean-up a breeze and keep your pans looking great!
• 5 Use a cookie scoop for perfectly portioned dough. This not only makes the job of scooping cookies easier, it ensures your cookies will bake evenly because they're all the same size.