1-First Step: Prep and mise en place Preheat the oven to 360F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Measure all ingredients before you start. Whisk together the dry ingredients so they are ready to go.

2-Second Step: Combine dry ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270g), 1/2 tsp baking soda (3g), and 3/4 tsp salt (4g) until evenly distributed. Set aside.

3-Third Step: Cream butter and sugars In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (230g) and 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g) until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup packed light-brown sugar (200g) and beat until incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed so everything mixes evenly.

4-Fourth Step: Add vanilla and eggs Add 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10ml). Then add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the bowl to make sure everything is uniform. This builds an emulsion that helps cookies spread and hold together.

5-Fifth Step: Mix in the flour With the mixer on low speed, add the flour-baking soda-salt mixture and mix just until combined. Over-mixing can lead to tough cookies, so stop as soon as you see no dry streaks of flour.

6-Sixth Step: Fold in the white chocolate Gently fold in 2 cups white chocolate chips (300g), reserving a handful for pressing on top of dough if you want extra visible chips after baking. Folding helps keep the dough tender.

7-Seventh Step: Portion the dough Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions with a cookie scoop. Place each portion on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 3 inches apart so the cookies have room to spread without joining.

8-Eighth Step: Bake Bake approximately 10 minutes at 360F until the edges are golden and centers still look slightly soft. For extra chips on top, a useful trick is to bake 8 minutes first, then press additional chips into the warm tops of the cookies and return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. This gives you ooey, visible pockets of white chocolate.

9-Final Step: Cool and serve Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Cooling lets the cookie centers set and creates the ideal chewy texture. If you want that straight-from-the-oven feel later, reheat a cookie for a few seconds in the microwave or warm several on a baking sheet at 300F for 3 to 5 minutes.