Start by getting the butter right – leave it out for about an hour until it’s soft enough that your finger leaves an indent when you press it, but not so soft it’s shiny or melting. This usually takes about an hour on the counter.

While the butter’s softening, mix your dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. This gets rid of any cocoa powder lumps and ensures the baking soda is evenly distributed.

In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and both sugars together until it’s really light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step! The mixture should look almost pale and feel almost whipped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times during mixing.

Add vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Let each egg mix in completely before adding the next one. The batter should look smooth and glossy.

Add the dry ingredients gradually – I do it in three batches. Mix on low speed just until you see the flour disappear. If you overmix here, your cookies will be tough.

Now for the fun part – stir in all three types of chocolate chunks by hand. I like to save a few chunks to press into the tops of the cookies later – it makes them look extra tempting.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. I know it’s tempting to skip this, but it keeps your cookies from spreading too much and helps develop a deeper flavor.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. They will spread! If you saved some chunks, press a few into the tops of each dough ball.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. Here’s how to know they’re done: the edges should be set and look slightly darker, but the centers should still look a bit soft and maybe even slightly underbaked. They’ll continue cooking a bit on the hot baking sheet.

Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes – they’re too soft to move right away. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.