Description
Delight in these luscious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies that combine a soft, vanilla-scented cookie dough with pockets of homemade strawberry jam and a creamy frozen cheesecake center. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy, these cookies offer a unique dessert experience with a rich, creamy filling enclosed in tender, jam-speckled cookie dough.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
- 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Strawberry Jam
- 12 oz (340 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
For the Cookies
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, very softened
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar, for rolling dough in
Instructions
- Prepare the Cheesecake Filling: Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the cold cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until fluffy and the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Scoop the mixture into 18 portions of 2 teaspoons each on the prepared sheet. Flatten each portion slightly with the back of a spoon into thick discs. Freeze until completely solid.
- Make the Strawberry Jam: Place the finely diced strawberries and granulated sugar in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook for about 45 minutes, smashing the strawberries halfway through with a wooden spoon. Stir continuously toward the end to prevent sticking as the jam thickens. The jam should reduce to a thick, heaping 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and refrigerate to chill while preparing the dough.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale and very fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Incorporate Strawberry Jam into Dough: Push three-quarters of the dough to one side of the bowl. Flatten one-quarter of the dough at the bottom of the bowl. Spoon one-quarter of the chilled jam onto this flattened dough, then cover with another quarter of the dough and top with another quarter of the jam. Repeat this layering process two more times, creating layers of dough and jam. Using a rubber spatula, cut the layered dough into quarters and fold each section gently just until the jam is slightly swirled throughout the dough to create pockets.
- Form Cookies: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into 18 equal scoops. Slightly flatten each dough portion. Place one frozen cheesecake disc in the center of each dough portion, then fold the dough completely around the cheesecake, ensuring it is fully enclosed. Shape each into a slightly flattened disc rather than a ball, as the cookies spread better with this shape.
- Roll in Sugar and Bake: Roll each cookie dough ball in the reserved granulated sugar to coat. Place the dough portions on the prepared baking sheets, about 6 cookies at a time. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a large circular cookie cutter to gently shape the cookies into perfect circles.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Keep the cheesecake filling discs frozen until ready to use to prevent melting into the dough.
- When cooking the strawberry jam, be patient and stir frequently towards the end to avoid burning.
- The cookie dough should be only lightly folded with the jam to create pockets and swirls, not fully mixed in.
- Shaping cookies immediately after baking with a cookie cutter ensures perfect shape.
- This recipe yields 18 cookies, perfect for sharing or storing for a few days.
- If desired, jam can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
