Start by getting butter right – it should be soft enough that your finger leaves a slight indent when pressed, but not so warm that it’s starting to melt. I usually leave it out for about an hour before baking.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. The parchment prevents sticking and helps the cookies brown evenly on the bottom.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. I like to use a whisk here rather than a spoon because it breaks up any lumps in the espresso powder and distributes everything evenly.

In a large bowl (or your stand mixer if you’re using one), beat the softened butter for about 30 seconds until it’s creamy. Add both sugars and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy – about 2-3 minutes. You’ll see the color become noticeably lighter when it’s ready.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula – this step is important for even mixing. Beat in the vanilla extract until just combined.

Gradually add the flour mixture to your butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. You’ll see a few streaks of flour remaining – that’s perfect. Over-mixing at this stage can make your cookies tough.

Fold in the chocolate chips by hand using a spatula. This gives you more control and prevents breaking up the chips.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. They’ll spread as they bake. If you want a prettier cookie, roll each scoop into a ball between your palms.

If you’re using the sea salt (which I highly recommend), sprinkle a few flakes on top of each cookie dough ball.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Look for golden brown edges while the centers still look slightly underbaked – they’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet after you take them out. The centers should look set but still soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes – they’re too soft to move right away. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. You’ll know they’re ready to move when you can slide a spatula under them without the cookie bending.