Delightful Cookie Dough Hearts

These unbaked cookie dough hearts make the perfect Valentine's treat that'll impress everyone. The yummy blend of chocolate pieces, creamy peanut butter, and delicious doughy texture creates irresistible bites that look as good as they taste.

I threw these cookie dough hearts together when I needed a quick sweet treat for my sweetheart on Valentine's Day. The absolute delight in their eyes when they saw these chocolate-coated treats made it all worthwhile!

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: Adds wonderful richness - get it properly softened for easier mixing
• Light brown sugar: Creates that classic cookie dough flavor with its warm, sweet taste
• Pure vanilla extract: Lifts all the other flavors - don't use imitation stuff
• Peanut butter: Gives a fantastic nutty taste and helps bind everything together
• All purpose flour: Makes up the foundation of your dough - measure carefully
• Sweetened condensed milk: Delivers creaminess and sweetness while perfecting the texture
• Mini chocolate chip morsels: Distribute better throughout the dough than larger chips
• Semi sweet baking chocolate for dipping: Creates that delightful outer shell that snaps when bitten
• White chocolate for decoration: Lets you make pretty designs and adds extra sweetness
• Food coloring: Brings that Valentine's mood - gel colors work best for bright results

Step-by-Step Instructions

Mix the Foundation:

Combine softened butter and brown sugar until completely smooth. This creates your base. Add vanilla and peanut butter, then continue mixing until everything turns light and airy. This step incorporates air for better texture.

Form the Dough:

Add your flour and sweetened condensed milk to the butter mixture and stir until everything comes together. It should now look like real cookie dough. Don't overwork it or it'll get stiff. Gently fold those mini chocolate chips in with a spatula for even distribution.

Flatten and Cool:

Press your dough firmly into a parchment-lined 8x8 inch container. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Let it sit in your fridge for at least 30 minutes until completely firm. This cooling time isn't optional if you want clean shapes.

Cut into Hearts:

Once firm, pull the dough out using the parchment edges. Press your heart-shaped cookie cutter firmly to make clean shapes. Place these hearts on a parchment-covered sheet. Stick them in the freezer for 15 minutes while preparing chocolate. The cold helps them stay together during dipping.

Coat with Chocolate:

Melt your semi-sweet chocolate in the microwave using 30-second bursts, stirring between each until smooth. Dunk each heart into the melted chocolate using a fork, making sure to cover completely. Let excess chocolate drip off before placing back on parchment. Keep working with one heart at a time while the others stay cold.

Add Decoration:

After the chocolate covering sets on all hearts, melt the white chocolate. Add a few drops of pink or red food coloring and stir until well blended. Pour this colored chocolate into a small sandwich bag and snip a tiny corner. Drizzle pretty patterns across each heart to give them that Valentine's Day charm.

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I gotta tell you, the peanut butter really takes these treats to another level. It adds this subtle nutty taste that makes this cookie dough so much tastier than standard versions. My niece helped me decorate these last Valentine's Day and proudly gave them to her teachers - we still talk about it to this day.

Storage Tips

Store your cookie dough hearts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The chocolate coating acts like a protective barrier around the dough to keep it fresh and tasty. If you're making them ahead for a special occasion, save the decorative drizzle for the day you'll serve them so they look their absolute best.

Need to store them longer? You can pop these treats in the freezer for up to three months. Just set them on a cookie sheet until completely frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw them in the fridge about an hour before you want to eat them.

Dietary Modifications

You can tweak this recipe for different dietary needs. For those avoiding gluten, simply replace the all purpose flour with a one-to-one gluten free flour blend. The results will be almost identical.

Want a dairy-free version? Go with vegan butter, coconut sweetened condensed milk, and dairy-free chocolate chips instead. If peanuts are an issue, try using sunflower butter or almond butter - you'll still get that smooth texture.

Serving Suggestions

These cookie dough hearts stand out beautifully as the centerpiece of a Valentine's dessert board. Try placing them among fresh strawberries, chocolate-covered pretzels, and pink macarons for a spread that'll impress everyone.

Feeling fancy? Place each heart in a small cupcake liner and arrange them in a gift box tied with ribbon. Include a personal note for your valentine to make the gift even more meaningful.

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Common Questions

→ Can I swap out peanut butter for another ingredient?

Absolutely! Try using almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead for the same great texture.

→ What's the best way to keep the chocolate hearts fresh?

Store them in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week or freeze them for longer storage.

→ Is dark chocolate a good choice here?

Definitely! Dark chocolate adds a rich flavor that isn't too sweet and works really well with the cookie dough.

→ How can I make this gluten-friendly?

Just grab some gluten-free flour mix and double check all other ingredients to make sure they don't contain gluten.

→ What can I do without a heart cutter?

You can roll the dough into balls like truffles or mold hearts by hand if you don't have a cutter.