María's Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

You'll need a hand or stand mixer for this recipe. To a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the browned butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium until it comes together, then increase the speed to high and continue beating for 3 minutes. The butter is browned, so it likely won't cream, but the mixture will become aerated and look slightly puffy.

Turn the beater back down to medium and work in the vanilla extract, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Next, beat the eggs in, one at a time. Make sure you see no streaks of egg before you add the second. Beat until well combined and the mixture has become smoother in appearance.

Switch to your stand mixer's paddle attachment, or grab a wooden spoon if you're using hand mixer. Add half of the flour to the bowl and mix until mostly incorporated, then mix in the other half. Once a dough has formed without any large streaks of flour, and mix in the chocolate chips. Stir until the chips are well combined in the dough, and no streaks of flour remain. Press the dough down into a mound (we don't want the top to dry out) and cover the bowl tightly with a wrap or a lid. Place in the refrigerator overnight, or for 8 hours to allow the flavors time to develop. Don't skip this step!

About an hour before you're ready to bake, pull the cookie dough from the refrigerator. It's going to be rock hard, and you'll need to let it come up in temperature to scoop it. Preheat your oven to 350°F and place two racks in the top half, then line two large baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

Use a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to portion out cookies about 2 1/2” apart. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt over the top of each mound, and dot the tops with leftover chocolate chips, if you like (for appearances).

Bake the cookies on the top two racks for 12 minutes, or until the edges are browned and starting to look a bit dry. Check them at around 7 minutes: if they seem to be baking faster on one side than the other, rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking.

Remove the cookies when there is an obvious light golden brown color to the majority of the cookie, the edges touching the pan are starting to look crisp, and the center is still puffy and light, seeming slightly underbaked. Cool on a sheet pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat them.

These cookies will keep in an air-tight container for about 4 days if they last that long. OK, dassit!