Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 and line half sheet pans with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.

Step 3

Next, add the egg, vanilla, and 1 tablespoons of WARM (not hot) water and mix on low speed just enough to incorporate.

Step 4

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and table salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until fully incorporated.

Step 5

Fold in the chocolate by hand.

Step 6

I used a #16 cookie scoop (about 3.4 ounces) but you could use a standard ice cream scoop or even a 1/4 c measuring cup and shape them into balls. You may get slightly more (or less) cookies depending on which you choose.

Step 7

Arrange the scoops onto a lined baking sheet and freeze for exactly 15 minutes. If you need to bake in batches, do not let any batch freeze for more than the 15 minutes.

Step 8

Arrange 4-5 balls of the chilled dough—spaced wide apart (important, they will spread!)—on each of two to three sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed in the center. They will not be fully cooked. Proceed to next step!

Step 9

Remove the pans from the oven and bang them on the stove top, until the center of the cookies deflate.

Step 10

Bake for 3 minutes, then bang the pans again, repeating baking and banging every 3 minutes, for 18 to 20 minutes total, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The center should be lighter and softer but cooked though as you would traditional chocolate chip cookies.

Step 11

Immediately sprinkle the cookies with sea salt, if desired, and then cool completely on the pans over a cooling rack. Remove only once fully cooled. Enjoy!