Ingredients

1¼cupsall-purpose flour,spoon & leveled

½tspbaking soda

¼tspsalt

½cupunsalted butter,(1 stick) softened to room temperature

½cuppacked dark brown sugar

¼cupgranulated sugar

1large egg

¾cupcreamy peanut butter

1tsppure vanilla extract

24dove chocolate hearts

¼cupgranulated sugar,optional, additional for rolling

Preparation

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter for about 1 minute on high speed until creamy.

On medium-high speed, beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes until completely creamed and smooth. Add the egg and beat on high for about 1 minute until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, then beat on high until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.

Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (and up to 1 day). If chilling for longer than a few hours, though, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard and the cookies may not spread much.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1 tablespoon of dough each. Roll each ball in the additional granulated sugar (optional) and arrange on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the tops begin to slightly crack. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Press a chocolate heart into each cookie and allow to cool completely.