Ingredients
2 1/4
cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1
teaspoon baking soda
1/2
teaspoon salt
1
cup butter, softened
3/4
cup granulated sugar
3/4
cup packed brown sugar
1
egg
1
teaspoon vanilla
2
cups semisweet chocolate chips
1
cup coarsely chopped nuts, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, beat softened butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon about 1 minute or until fluffy, scraping side of bowl occasionally.

Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until blended (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store covered in airtight container.

Expert Tips
For best results, bake cookies on middle oven rack. For even baking, it’s best to bake one sheet at a time.
The best cookie sheets are shiny aluminum with a smooth surface and no sides. They reflect heat, letting cookies bake evenly and brown properly. Rimmed baking sheets are excellent for many things, but not for cookie making.
To ensure success in baking, measure ingredients accurately using the right measuring equipment for the ingredient being measured. For best results, add ingredients in the order they are called for.
The best way to measure flour is to first stir the flour a bit before spooning into the measuring cup. Fill until heaping, and then sweep the excess off the top with the flat edge of a butter knife.
There is lots of baking science behind what makes a soft, chewy cookie versus a crisp, crunchy cookie. The ratio and type of sugars used, the amount of butter or shortening, and how much flour is stirred in all make a difference.
Use a 1-inch meat baller (or a cookie/ice cream scoop) to make consistently even-shaped cookies.
Make jumbo cookies—use a measuring cup or cookie/ice cream scoop to scoop dough. Drop dough 3 inches apart, and bake until edges are set (centers will be soft).
What's your favorite way to riff on this classic recipe? With macadamia and white vanilla baking chips? Double the peanut butter (chips and chopped peanuts)? Or salted butterscotch-pecan (butterscotch chips and chopped pecans, sprinkled with coarse salt before baking)? Whatever you decide, just replace chocolate chips and nut amounts with the same amount of new ingredient you are adding.