Growing up, Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite holidays. I loved the cards, the crafts, the candies and the parties. I still do, and I hope to make this holiday just as special for my kids growing up.
This time last year, I was heavily pregnant with Margot, and our cupboards were rather bare (it’s funny how chores take a back seat when you’re 8 months preggy). I felt compelled to bake a Valentine’s Day treat for my husband so he’d have something nice to come home to — so I gathered a few pantry staples and made these peanut butter cookies shaped like hearts. I’m sharing the recipe and how-to tips on shaping your cookies just in case any of you find yourself scrambling for a last minute Valentine’s Day treat. 
These cookies are made a little less sweet, making them great for dipping in (chocolate) milk, or sandwiching with nutella, for those of you with a sweet tooth.
Follow the instructions posted below to make your cookie dough. When that’s complete, line your baking sheets with parchment paper, and roll out the dough into 1 1/4″ balls and line them up, 12 cookies per baking sheet.
Take the flat end of a fork and part the top of the cookie, pressing each side outward to form the top of the heart. Pinch the bottom of the cookie to form the bottom of the heart.
Use the prong end of the fork to flatten the cookie down a bit, creating the signature peanut butter cookie criss-cross.
Once your cookies are shaped, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 6-9 minutes at 375F.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Beat sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and egg on med speed until creamy.
- Blend in flour and baking soda on low speed until well blended.
- Shape dough into 1 1/4″ balls. Using flat end of fork, part and spread the top of the ball open to form the top of the heart. Pinch the bottom of the ball to form the bottom of the heart. Flatten each half into criss-cross pattern with prong end of the fork.
- Bake 6-9 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 2 mins, remove to wire racks to cool.
Yea Yea Pueblo 
You had me at ‘peanut butter’! I’m definitely making these very, very soon…
Ours are almost gone already. Isaac seems to think it’s okay to eat 6+ cookies in one sitting.