Cheesecake Cookies

I came across these cookies and I was amazed at how simple they were. Sure, grand extravagant creations can be tasty, but it’s amazing how good a simple cookie can be. These cookies are similar to shortbread, but have cream cheese added to the batter. This particular version of the cookie uses graham cracker crumbs as a coating, giving the cookies the flavor of cheesecake. Sounds intriguing!

The blog where I found this recipe suggested pairing these cookies together with some sort of filling and making sandwich cookies. I think that would be a great idea, although this recipe only makes 2-1/2 dozen, so you would probably want to double the recipe if you decide to go that route. I think these cookies would be especially good with Nutella.

These cookies come together fast, and the list of ingredients is super small. You could roll them in nuts if you didn’t have graham cracker crumbs. I baked up the first sheet of cookies and noticed that they didn’t flatten much while baking, so the other cookies I flattened a bit with the palm of my hand before baking, and I think that worked better. They looked a little plain, so I topped my cookies with  chocolate drizzle and I like the combination of the tangy cream cheese and the slight bitterness of the chocolate. Easy and very tasty!

Cheesecake Cookies

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

About ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

Melted chocolate, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and stir on low until incorporated. Do not over beat.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in graham cracker crumbs and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are golden. Remove  to a wire rack to cool.

If desired, decorate the cooled cookies with a drizzle of melted chocolate. Alternatively, you could pair the cookies into sandwiches with melted chocolate, jam, or other filling.

Recipe from The Love Family of 5