1-Getting started: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure even baking and easy cleanup.

2-Mixing dry ingredients: In one bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until well combined.

3-Creating wet mixture: In another bowl, beat the 2 sticks (1 cup) of softened unsalted butter with 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar and 1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy this usually takes a few minutes and helps create that soft texture. Add in 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, mixing everything until it’s smooth and incorporated.

4-Combining mixtures: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones on low speed, stirring just until combined to avoid overmixing, which keeps the cookies soft.

5-Adding mix-ins: Once the base is ready, fold in the fun parts: 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup toffee bits, 1 cup crushed potato chips, and 1/2 cup chopped pretzels for that signature kitchen sink vibe. For reference, check out our best baking tips page to tweak this further.

6-Forming and baking: Form the dough into golf ball-sized balls and space them out on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are crisp but the centers stay soft, then optionally tap the pans on the counter to flatten them a bit and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt if desired.

7-Cooling: Finally, let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack the total preparation time is about 25 minutes, with 10 minutes of cooking, making the whole process around 35 minutes.