The simplest cookie dough starts with the same base: cream one cup of softened butter with one cup of sugar until light and fluffy, beat in one egg and a teaspoon of vanilla, then stir in two and a half cups of all-purpose flour mixed with a teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of baking powder. That’s your basic sugar cookie dough. From there, fold in chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, or whatever you like.
The temperature of your ingredients matters. Butter that’s softened — not melted — creams into sugar properly, and using cold butter gives a thicker, chewier cookie. Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you want cookies that spread less and stay puffy.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) on a parchment-lined sheet, spaced about two inches apart. For soft cookies, pull them when the edges are just golden but the centers still look slightly underdone — they’ll set as they cool. 8 minutes for small cookies, 10–12 for standard scoop-sized ones.
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