Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.

Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them 2 to 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Press a few extra chocolate chips on top if you want.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.

Remove from the oven and immediately press a heart-shaped cookie cutter over each warm cookie. Lift away the excess edges. Work quickly while they’re still soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.