Jerome's Kitchen

There’s something magical about pulling a warm tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. The smell alone is worth learning to bake for. But if you’ve never baked before, even a simple recipe can feel strangely intimidating — what exactly does “cream the butter” mean? Should the eggs be cold or at room temperature? Why do some cookies come out flat while others stay thick and chewy?

I’ve been there. And I want to tell you: chocolate chip cookies are one of the absolute best starting points for beginner bakers. No yeast, no complicated techniques, and you’ll have results on the table in under an hour. Here’s everything you need to know.

What You’ll Need (Makes ~24 cookies)

• 225g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200g (1 cup) granulated white sugar
• 200g (1 cup) light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 375g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 340g (2 cups) chocolate chips

5 Rules for Perfect Cookies Every Time

Before you start mixing, understand these five principles — they’re the difference between cookies that impress and cookies that disappoint.

1. Butter must be at room temperature. Cold butter won’t cream properly; melted butter makes flat, greasy cookies. Press your finger into the butter — it should leave an indent without sliding right through.
2. Don’t skip the chill. Refrigerating your dough for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) gives you thicker cookies with deeper flavour.
3. Measure flour correctly. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off — never scoop directly with the cup, which packs in up to 20% more flour than you need.
4. Pull them out early. The cookies should look underdone when they come out. They’ll finish cooking on the hot tray for 3–4 more minutes. Trust it.
5. Use chocolate you’d eat on its own. The quality of your chocolate directly impacts the final result.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.

Step 2. Beat the softened butter with both sugars until pale, light and fluffy — about 3–4 minutes by hand, or 2 minutes with a hand mixer. This is “creaming,” and it’s essential for the right chewy texture.

Step 3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Step 4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Stop as soon as you can’t see dry flour — overmixing makes tough cookies.

Step 5. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (up to 72 hours).

Step 6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared trays, spacing them about 5cm (2 inches) apart.

Step 7. Bake for 9–11 minutes until the edges are golden and set, but the centres still look slightly underdone. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes — they’ll firm up into perfect, chewy cookies.

Want to Take Your Baking Further?

Chocolate chip cookies are just the beginning. Once you understand butter temperatures, oven timing, and how dough should feel, baking becomes genuinely intuitive — and a lot of fun.

If you want a clear, structured path from complete beginner to confident baker, my Baking 101 ebook covers everything you need. For just $5, you get 28 carefully chosen recipes across breads, cakes, cookies, pastries and frostings — organized by skill level so you always know what to tackle next. There’s also a full troubleshooting guide, essential tool recommendations, and measurement conversion charts.

Whether you want to master a classic sandwich loaf, nail a fluffy birthday cake, or try croissants one day — it’s all in there.

→ Get the Baking 101 Ebook for $5

Jerome’s Tips

• For extra-thick cookies, roll your dough into tall balls (taller than wide) before baking.
• A pinch of flaky sea salt on top just before baking takes these from great to genuinely unforgettable.
• Raw dough balls freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen — just add 2–3 extra minutes.