A note on oil: I’ve moved away from using industrial seed oils in my cooking.  For these cookies, you really do want the softness that oil gives to baked goods.  As such, try to use neutral unrefined, high oleic or cold pressed oils like safflower, sunflower.  La Tourangelle makes some really good oils that will change how you think about oil.  Olive oil is good too, though it gives these cookies a distinct Mediterranean flavor (add some lemon or orange zest if you do use olive oil and they’ll taste like Sicily).

Make ahead dough: Pack the dough flat into a freezer plastic bag, removing as much of the air as you can.  Freeze the dough.  Set the dough in the fridge overnight to thaw the day before you want to make your cookies.

Scoop of your dreams: I love cookie scoops for the time saving, even results they give you.  For this recipe, a Vollrath yellow scoop (1 5/8 oz) is the perfect size.   Alternatively, feel free to eyeball it!