Chubby Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 heavy-duty cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter, sugars and molasses in mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment.
3. Add vanilla and beat for a minute or two.
4. Add eggs one at a time, and beat until combined.
5. Add flour, salt and baking soda to the egg mixture, and pulse until flour is just incorporated, then beat on medium speed for a minute or two. Stop the mixer, and using a spatula or plastic bowl scraper, check for pockets of flour underneath, and mix in.
6. Add chocolate chips and mix on medium-low speed until combined. Cookie dough will be very thick and stiff, and will try to escape if you've got a small Kitchenaid mixer. Push it back down into the bowl if it does that.
7. Using a large cookie scoop, place balls of dough about 2 1/2 inches apart. My balls of dough are about 3 ounces each. Smaller than a tennis ball, but bigger than a ping pong ball.
8. Roll balls gently to smooth out the edges, if you'd like a neat cookie. Press balls gently with the back of a fork, or your fingers, or the bottom of a glass, or whatever, to ever so slightly flatten. (OK, I've recently started baking the cookies WITHOUT PRESSING THEM. And I think I like them better this way. You decide.)
9. At this point, cookies can be frozen and baked off at a later time. Place them in one layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and stash in the freezer overnight, or for several hours. I prefer this freezing method, and I'm convinced it produces a chewier cookie, but I could also just be imagining it all. In any event, proceed with the freezing. You won't be sorry.
10. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt (this is totally optional, but so so yummy.) Bake for 16 to 18 minutes (depending on if you like super chewy cookies or well done cookies), rotating back-to-front and top-to-bottom at mid-point. Don't over-bake, or you'll lose the chewiness.
11. Cookies will be pale and won't brown very much on top, but will be lightly golden brown underneath. Slide entire parchment onto a cooling rack. You want your cookies to bend as you are sliding the parchment to the cooling rack - this is where those attractive grooves and cracks happen.
12. Get your cold glass of milk. Taste a warm cookie. Mmmm...Isn't it good?
13. Store cookies in an air-tight cookie jar or sealed plastic bag. Cookies reheat nicely in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
14. Alternatively, for a small cookie, roll dough into 1" balls. Place on parchment-lined sheet pan about 1" apart. Slightly flatten balls. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen small cookies. Small unbaked cookies can also be frozen and baked off at a later time.