Here we go, a good ol' baking classic! I was nervous going into this one, I have to admit--the last time I made cookies from scratch was in my highschool's kitchen well over 12 years ago, and there I was using an industrial-size mixer and full-on bakery oven to make enough cookies to feed several hundred people. Luckily, it turns out time, an electric handheld mixer and a regular household oven that sometimes cooks things a bit wonky didn't affect all that much, and I was still very much able to make that deliciousness again, just on a much smaller scale this time! To make chocolate chip cookies as I did, here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 1/4 cups of butter
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 package of semisweet chocolate chips

Recipe:
1. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and set it aside.
2. In a second large bowl, mix the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on low speed for about 3 minutes. If the butter's fresh out of the fridge, remember to soften it up first--put it into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds, but watch to make sure it doesn't melt.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until the dough becomes somewhat stiff. This is where you'll have to switch to a wooden spoon and begin mixing and folding the dough by hand, as the mixer won't be able to work with the dough anymore.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips. Yes, all of them, the entire package, go wild!
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple of baking trays with with parchment paper.
7. Scoop out portions of dough, roll them into balls with your hands and place them onto the tray, keeping them a couple inches apart from each other--remember that they're going to take up more space after you've baked them. I used an ice cream scoop for this step, it's great for measuring out a good amount of dough for each ball.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown. You'll want them to still be a bit soft when they come out of the oven.
9. Remove the tray from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes to cool off and firm up a little.
10. Use a spatula to gently move the cookies from the tray to a cooling rack and let them cool for another 20-30 minutes.
And once you've done all this, it's time to indulge in some fresh-baked cookie goodness! Eat them right away, on your own or with others, store them for later, or put them in the freezer in a ziplock bag and get 'em all chewy--the freezer option is perfect for when you're planning a day trip and want to bring some cookies with you, as I can tell you from experience! They should last for a good week or so in a proper container and even longer in the freezer, but let's be honest, are they really going to go uneaten for that long?