Better-Than-Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Hearts

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 12 ounces (scant 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips, such as Guittard
  • 6 ounces milk chocolate chips (scant 1 cup) or bar, broken
  • 1 cup chopped roasted almonds or walnuts
  • Melted chocolate, optional

    • Cream butter until light. Beat in granulated and brown sugars. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Add flour and oats and mix well

    Fold in semisweet and milk chocolate chips, then nuts.

    Spoon dough into greased and floured small heart-shaped (disposable foil pans work well) cake pans (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup dough for 4- to 5-inch heart pans). Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. (Bake longer if filling pans more fully for cakelike cookies.) Or drop dough by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes.

    Let stand 5 minutes in pan then cut along side with knife and turn over pan, tapping lightly on center of pan until released. Cool. If desired, frost with melted chocolate. Makes 20 to 24 large heart cookies or 4 dozen round cookies.