Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn’t be hot – but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.

Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated – about 10-15 seconds.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to your mixture. Mix until crumbles form; then use your hands to press them together into a dough that forms one large ball.

Incorporate chocolate chips by adding them to your dough and mixing with your hands until evenly distributed.

Roll the dough into 12 large balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 9-11 minutes until they look puffy, dry, and just barely golden. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

Let cool on the pan for about 30 minutes. They'll settle down into dense, buttery, soft cookies.