Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies are CURSED! This is my fourth time baking through this recipe and I’ve finally gotten it right. The first time I made them they were okay, but I had to play with the measurements to get the taste and texture right. The second time I was making them everything was going well and right as I was taking them out of the oven to cool I accidentally slammed the tray directly into the table and dropped all of the cookies on the floor.

Tragic. RIGHT?

The third time I over-mixed my dry ingredients and the top came out all crackly. Now you know what they say, fourth times the charm or… WHATEVER. Now that ive gotten them down I can honestly say these cookies are truly delicious. The nuttiness from the brown butter mixed with the nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and pumpkin puree make my pumpkin cheesecake cookies the epitome of fall.

Why measure vanilla with your heart?

You may see in my recipes that I do not provide a measurement for vanilla and occasionally for other ingredients. I like to allow you as much creative freedom as possible without destroying the recipe. I trust your instincts. Now obviously don’t go and pour the entire bottle of vanilla in your batter, but it’s not one of those ingredients you have to be super meticulous with. If I don’t measure it why should you?

For a pinch of salt I pour the salt in my hand and use my pointer finger and thumb to pinch, then add it to my bowl.

All of my recipes are written as I do them.

From a young age, my mom used to always get on me for not following recipes to a T, but as I got older I realized that the creative freedom I gave myself fueled my love for baking. In the kitchen I allow my mind to wander and test the limits of each recipe. Sometimes resulting in disaster but more often than not resulting in a delicious outcome.

One Bowl for wet and dry ingredients ???

I know! Crazy right?! In recipes, to minimize the number of dishes I have to do at the end of the night I tend to do everything in one bowl. Recipes usually tell you to mix dry and wet ingredients separately so you don’t accidentally overmix your batter. Feel free to combine the dry ingredients separately if your heart truly desires. Just make sure dry ingredients are fully incorporated before continuing to the next step. If you are nervous about overmixing you can also use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet; that generally helps me.

Prep Time: 10 mins | Chill time: 30 mins | Bake time: 14 mins | Yield: 12 Cookies

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese filling:

• 4 oz cream cheese

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Pumpkin Cookies:

• 3/4 cups sugar (+ 1/3 cup for cinnamon sugar)

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1/2 cup browned butter

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree

• vanilla extract

• 1 1/3 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

• pinch salt

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Instructions:

Making Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl mix together  1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon. Set aside for later use.

Creating Your Filling: In a small bowl combine your cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. Mix on medium speed until creamy and scoop out little balls using a 1 tsp measuring spoon. Add the balls to parchment paper and place them in the freezer while assembling the dough.

Brown the Butter: In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Keep stirring until it begins to foam and turns golden brown, emitting a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn it! The butter can go from browned to burnt very quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Mix well until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

3. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and gently fold them in using a spatula just until combined.

   • You can also use your hand mixer, but again mix just until combined, and be careful not to overmix!

4. Assemble Dough: Remove the cream cheese balls from the freezer. With a cookie scoop, scoop out your dough and flatten it with your palm allowing space for a ball of cream cheese. Place a ball of cream cheese in the center of the dough and roll it back together. Roll the dough ball through your bowl of cinnamon sugar. Place the coated dough balls on a prepared baking sheet.

5. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

6. Chill Dough: As your oven preheats refrigerate for 30 minutes.

7. Bake Cookies: Bake for 13-16 minutes, depending on your oven.

   • I baked it for 14 minutes.

   • Cookie's edges should be golden brown.

8. Cool and Enjoy: Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!