I’ve been testing it for a decade so you don’t have to. I’ve made tens of thousands of cookies over the last 12+ years. Maybe even HUNDREDS of thousands of cookies. I’m not exaggerating.

Sugar, Oatmeal Raisin, Molasses, Chocolate Ginger, Funfetti, Pumpkin Brown Butter, Black & White, Vegan, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free. But it will come as no surprise that the one cookie everyone asks for, the one cookie that no one can walk away from without taking a bite of, is the chocolate chip cookie. THIS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE.

With that said, there is no big secret to this recipe! No hard-to-find ingredients. No special training or skill set required to execute. No specialized kitchen equipment. No complicated procedures or techniques. It’s just easy old fashioned cookie dough.

Don’t believe me?

I’ve had every single one of my high school interns make this cookie dough (in MASSIVE quantities even). If 16 year-olds can do it without a hitch, so can you. On Christmas Eve four years ago, I made this recipe with my cousin when he was 3 years old. With a hand mixer. And he did most of the work.

One of my friends has even taken this recipe and turned it into tasty weed cookies with the help of their homemade cannabutter. The sky is the limit, people!

These cookies can be baked the moment the dough is done mixing. They can be scooped and frozen, pulled out of the freezer a handful at a time and baked when the craving hits. The dough can be wrapped up and left in the fridge for a week until you get around to baking them. Or for that gathering next week that you already know you won’t have the energy to cook for.

Honestly, you don’t even have to bake it. You can just eat the cookie dough as you see fit, I certainly do. (I don’t even care if you’re judging me.)

Some notes and preferences just in case you’re still nervous about making delicious cookies:

• I use a 1.5 oz cookie scoop which gives me about 3 dozen cookies. They fit in the palm of my normal-sized lady hand, like this:

A 2 oz scoop will give you Starbucks-sized cookies and a 1 oz scoop will give you more cookie-tin sized cookies. You can also just scoop them out with a spoon and plop them down into your own desired size. Bake a few off and see what size you like the best — eat the ones that don’t cut it.

• Maldon (or any comparable flaky sea salt) is optional, BUT NOT REALLY. That little bit of saltiness is going to set your cookie above and beyond every other cookie out there. It would be the secret ingredient if this recipe was a secret.
• What’s up with that raw sugar? Well, in a nutshell — raw sugar is just sugar with its natural molasses content intact. That little bit of natural molasses is going to make your cookies a bit more deliciously chewy. Don’t have raw sugar and don’t feel like buying it? No problem. Substitute granulated sugar if you want a crisper cookie or light brown sugar if you want a chewier cookie. Or go half and half, whatever makes you happy!
• Every oven on the planet is different, which is why I tell you to check the cookies at 9 minutes. When I make this cookie at work in an industrial convection oven it takes about 8.5 minutes to cook perfectly. At home, it takes me closer to 14 for my tastes. So check it at 9 minutes and use the visual pointers to tell when your cookie is baked perfectly for you.

• Choosing a chocolate: The rule I live by when making cookies is — use the best chocolate you can. It should come as no surprise that the best chocolate makes the best cookies. With that said, use what you like and what’s available. I prefer chopping up a block of chocolate into chunks, or buying larger chunks of chocolate, but chips will work well too. I’m also not against using M&M’s or other chocolate candies. The quantity should still shake out to 2–1/2 cups though.
• Don’t have a stand mixer? This recipe works just fine with a hand mixer. Just make sure your butter is nice and soft to keep from overworking your mixer and your arm. Don’t have a hand mixer either? Sorry, you might want to buy the dough.
• Storage: Once baked I keep these cookies in a nice airtight container, jar, or resealable plastic bag and just leave them on the counter. I’ve never seen any stick around for more than 2 days. I’m a fan of popping one in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to remelt some of the chocolate chunks for that out-of-the-oven gooiness.

I’m also a fan of dipping these cookies in hot fudge sauce, piping frosting on top, or eating them with ice cream sandwiched in between. If you want to make new friends fast, think about sharing them. But hey, they’re your cookies now — eat them in the way that makes you happiest!

This blog was originally published in The Startup on Medium on October 10, 2019. You can find the original version here.