Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
These Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies combine fresh strawberries and a rich cheesecake filling into soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats. Start by making a simple homemade jam and freezing tangy cheesecake dollops. Mix the vibrant dough, fold in the jam and strawberries, and assemble the cookies. Chill, bake, and enjoy cookies packed with flavor and texture. Delicious straight from the oven or chilled from the fridge, they’re perfect to satisfy any sweet craving.
INGREDIENTS:
For Strawberry Jam
For Cheesecake Filling
For Strawberry Cookies
DIRECTIONS:
Wash, dry, and hull the strawberries. Place finely diced strawberries and light brown sugar in a medium pot and stir well. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick, and reduce to about 1/3 – 1/4 cup. Set aside to cool. Measure out 1/4 cup of strawberry jam, transfer it to a small bowl, and chill it in the fridge.
Beat softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar together. Line a tray with baking paper and scoop out 12 portions of filling (about one Tablespoon per cookie). Slightly flatten each ball and place in the freezer for an hour, or until firm completely.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time because the cookies are large. In a bowl, combine melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk until dissolved, then add one egg and whisk well. Using a spatula, fold in the mixture of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be thick and seem dry, but that’s okay. Scatter the strawberries and fold them into the dough. Layer the dough with strawberry jam by spreading 3/4 of the dough to the side of the bowl, flattening the remaining dough on the bottom, and dotting it with 1/3 of the jam. Add another layer of dough and repeat with the remaining jam. Ensure the jam and strawberries are evenly dispersed without fully tinting the dough pink.
After chilling for 30 minutes, flatten each portion of the dough and place a frozen cheesecake disc in the center. Seal the cheesecake filling with the dough, fully covering it. Shape into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet, 4 inches apart. Wet or spray hands with non-stick spray if the dough is sticking. Slightly flatten each ball and sprinkle granulated sugar on top. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature for one day or refrigerate in an airtight container due to the cream cheese filling.