Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy. This step builds the cookie's structure — don't rush it.

Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough, so stop as soon as it comes together.

Choose your style. For drop cookies, scoop 1½-tablespoon balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet — no chilling needed. For roll-and-cut cookies, wrap the dough in plastic, chill for 1 hour, then roll to ¼-inch thickness and cut shapes.

Bake at 375°F (190°C). Bake drop cookies for 9–11 minutes, or cut-outs for 8–10 minutes. Pull them when the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone — they'll finish setting on the pan. This is the secret to chewy cookies.

Cool on the pan. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They'll be soft at first and firm up into perfect chewy goodness.