Description
Delight in these charming heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies, perfect for sharing with loved ones or gifting on special occasions. Crispy on the edges, chewy in the center, and loaded with rich semisweet chocolate chips, these cookies combine classic favorite flavors with a festive shape that adds a cute, personal touch to your baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns light and fluffy, which helps incorporate air for soft cookies.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, beating well after each addition to fully combine. Then stir in the vanilla extract until evenly mixed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt throughout the flour.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips to incorporate them evenly throughout the dough.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour a clean surface or your hands, then scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten each ball slightly into a disc to prepare for cutting shapes.
- Cut Heart Shapes: Press a heart-shaped cookie cutter into each disc and carefully lift it to transfer the heart-shaped dough onto your prepared baking sheets. If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, use a round cutter and shape the dough balls by hand into hearts before placing them on the sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown but the centers remain slightly soft, ensuring a perfect chewy texture.
- Cool the Cookies: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes to firm up. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once fully cooled, serve these heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies as a sweet treat for family and friends or package them as a thoughtful homemade gift.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened but not melted for easier creaming with sugars.
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep the cookies tender.
- If you don’t have a heart-shaped cutter, you can creatively shape the dough by hand.
- Cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so remove them just as edges turn golden.
- For extra flavor, consider chilling the dough for 30 minutes before shaping and baking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
