1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This typically takes about 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed. Once combined, mix in the room temperature eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined.

3. Gradually add the reserved dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until you no longer see streaks of flour. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as this can lead to tough cookies. Once the flour is just incorporated, gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips by hand.

4. Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. Ensure there is about 2-3 inches of space between each dough ball, as the cookies will spread during baking. If desired, you can press additional chocolate chunks or sprinkles into the tops of each dough ball for an extra decorative touch.

5. Bake for about 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are very slightly golden brown and set, but the centers still appear slightly soft and underdone. This ensures a chewy, soft cookie. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, working quickly while the cookies are still warm and pliable, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies into hearts. Gently remove any excess dough from around the hearts. Allow the heart-shaped cookies to cool on the baking sheet for another 5-7 minutes to firm up before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.