Description
These delightful Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies combine a classic chocolate chip cookie dough with a fun twist. Baked to perfection and cut into charming heart shapes right after baking, these cookies are perfect for sharing love and sweetness on any occasion. The mix of regular and mini semisweet chocolate chips adds a delightful texture and rich chocolate flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
Add-ins
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (a mix of regular and mini chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies do not stick and set it aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. This mixture will help distribute the leavening agents evenly throughout the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the unsalted butter with granulated sugar and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. This step incorporates air and yields a soft texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until just combined, ensuring a smooth, well-mixed base for the dough.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until no visible streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips (both regular and mini) to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
- Portion the Dough: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet for each cookie, spacing them about 2 to 3 inches apart as they will spread during baking. Adjust scoop sizes if using larger or smaller cookie cutters later.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown and the centers remain slightly underdone for a soft texture.
- Cut Into Heart Shapes: Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press a heart-shaped cookie cutter into each warm cookie to cut out the heart shapes. Handle with care as the cookies will be hot and soft at this point.
- Cool: Leave the cut cookies on the baking sheet for another 5 to 7 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This prevents breaking and keeps the shape intact.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature butter and eggs to ensure proper mixing and texture.
- Allow the cookies to cool sufficiently after shaping to maintain the heart shape without crumbling.
- You can press additional chocolate chunks or sprinkles on top of the cookies before baking for extra decoration and flavor.
- If you don’t have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can use any shape or even skip this step for classic round cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to keep them fresh.
