Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to ensure your cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt (if using). Stir until the dry ingredients are well combined. Set this bowl aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened Land O' Lakes butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. I like to use an electric mixer for this step, but a whisk works just fine if you don't have one. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then, add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed (if using a mixer) or stir by hand to avoid flour flying everywhere. Make sure everything is well incorporated, but don’t over-mix.

Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spatula until they're evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading during baking.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the center.

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely (if you can resist!) and enjoy the delightful texture and taste.