Oh my, oh my did I find something absolutely delightful. The other day I was looking through my fridge and freezer to see what to make for dinner (and face it what I had forgotten was in there).
Well I stumbled across some cream cheese goodness from these amazing muffins and the wheels in my brain just started turning.
You see cream cheese is a must have in my house--just like always having butter around. You never know when you are going to need some cream cheese so I always have several spares in my fridge. Plus my hubby says it's the universal food--it can go in desserts, side dishes, and main dishes. Sweet! And when there is only a tiny bit left (like from the muffins or from crepes) we have to save it because you never know when you are going to find a use for it.
Well after I found this lovely goodness I knew I had to try it in cookies because it was amazing in the muffins--that sweet surprise in the middle. These turned out absolutely fantastic and were inhaled within minutes, not kidding!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
Cookies:
3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Coating:
½ c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice
1. To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.
2. Make cookies as soon as you have your filling in the freezer. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour (I did 2 hours and it worked great).
3. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Remove filling from freezer and cut into 24 equal pieces. Place about 2 tablespoons of dough in your hand and flatten out (if the dough is too sticky, I keep a small cup of water nearby and constantly dip my fingers in it and then work with the dough. Just don't use a lot of water--small amounts). Place a piece of filling in the middle of the cookie, wrap the sides around it and roll into a circle. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.
4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. These were much better warm, but be careful because the filling in the middle is hot. Store in an airtight container and Enjoy!
Source: cookies from Annie's Eats
