Heart-Shaped Pan Cookie {Giant Valentine Cookie}

My mom.  I wonder how many of my posts start out like that.  Obviously she has heavily influenced my cooking and baking.  Anyway....my mom used to bake up lots of these giant cookies for friends, neighbors, and my dad every year for Valentine's day.  It was a such a fun tradition and how could you not love someone who made such a cute, delectable treat for you?  So when I saw a heart-shaped pan at Ross last weekend, I had to have it for obvious reasons.  

I'm not sure if I'll ever grow out of making Valentines for my friends.  I guess it makes me still feel like I'm in 3rd grade, which I kind of miss some days.  Something about this holiday just gets me in the baking/crafty mood.  Last year I was in Utah for Valentines Day and my mom and sister and I made these fun little chocolate boxes.  Last week, the little man and I stapled together this fun heart garland.  Last night, when I asked little man to come help me make dinner, he started crying and said, "No.  I make cookies right now mommy."   I don't really like when he pulls out the right now on me, but I had to laugh because I don't know that many 2-year-olds that are so insistent on making cookies regularly.  This little man is a cookie monster just like his mama.  While our chicken was in the oven, we whipped up one of these babies.  It was fun and nostalgic and the little man tasted the cookie dough a few too many times to give this one away, so we kept it.  And we've been eating it all day.  

Heart-Shaped Pan Cookie {Giant Valentine Cookie}
Printable Version

Ingredients:

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1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 375 (350 If using a dark, glass, or nonstick pan).  Grease and wax paper-line 8 1/2 or 9-inch heart-shaped pan (or use a round or square pan if that’s what you’ve got).   
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels; spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and leaving a border around the cookie, immediately sprinkle remaining chocolate chips in a heart shape.  Allow chocolate chips to get shiny and melty for 2-3 minutes before spreading over cookie.  (The back of a spoon worked great for my spreader)  Add any fun or festive sprinkles, if desired, while chocolate is melted.  Allow cookie to cool and chocolate topping to set up before removing from pan (this will take several hours).  

Notes:

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If you are worried about getting your cookie out of the pan or need to use the pan again before the chocolate is completely set up then follow the original recipe directions for cooling and the chocolate chip topping:
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Microwave remaining morsels in small, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring until melted; spread over cookie.

This would also be super cute with these valentine morsels in the dough. Toll house used to make a raspberry semi-sweet swirled morsel that it is really tasty with as well. Maybe they are just seasonal or something, but I haven't seen them lately.  

Recipe Source:

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My mom, via Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, February 1995. Also available here.