Stuffed Snickerdoodle Cookies

This recipe was my first attempt at making stuffed cookies.  It took me many tries to get it right but when I finally did, I realized that all of my hard work paid off.  My vision was to have cheesecake in a cookie and that was my motivation for creating this recipe.  I love cheesecake and I love cookies, so I combined them into one and created this snickerdoodle stuffed cheesecake cookie.

Very Important: When measuring the flour please be sure to use a food scale.  It is much more accurate and will give you better results when baking.


Cheesecake filling

8 ounce of room temperature cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Cookie dough

1 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour (380 grams; use a food scale)

2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1.5 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar


Cinnamon sugar

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon 

1/4 cup of Turbinado sugar (or sugar in the raw)


Instructions:

Step 1: In a small mixing bowl beat together your cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract.

Step 2: Get a small baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.

Step 3: Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese and place it on the baking sheet.  Continue to do this for the remaining cream cheese in the bowl.

Step 4: Place in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes (easier to work with when stuffing your cookie)

Step 5: While your cream cheese is in the freezer heat up a large pan on medium heat.

Step 6: Add the butter to the pan and brown it (adds flavor to the cookies).  Do this by melting the butter in the pan.  The butter will start to bubble and after it stops bubbling, you'll see brown specs start to settle at the bottom of the pot and you'll notice a rich buttery smell.  You are done browning your butter.

Step 7: Quickly turn off the stove and pour your butter in a bowl. Let it cool for approximately 30 minutes.

Step 8: After the butter is cool add it to a mixing bowl with your sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and beat with a mixer until your ingredients are well incorporated.

Step 9: Add your eggs in one at a time and mix again after each egg is added.

Step 10: In a separate bowl combine all of your dry ingredients (flour, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cream of tartar) and whisk.

Step 11: Once your dry ingredients are combined, use a fine mesh strainer and sift it into your wet ingredients 1/3 at a time. Mix every time you add the dry ingredients.

Step 12: Get an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and form little dough balls.  Do this until all the dough is formed into balls.

Step 13: Remove the cream cheese from the freezer.

Step 14: Grab one of your formed cookie dough balls and make an indent with your thumb in the center.

Step 15: Add your frozen cream cheese filling in the indent and cover it by rolling the dough in your hand again.

Step 16: Repeat this step until there is no dough balls remaining.

Step 17: Combine your cinnamon and Turbinado sugar to make your cinnamon sugar and whisk together.

Step 18: Roll each of the cookie dough balls in the cinnamon sugar until they are coated then place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 19: Repeat this process until you have filled all of your cookie dough balls with cream cheese.

Step 20: Place your cookie dough balls in the freezer for 15-20 minutes

Step 21: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 22: Remove your cookie dough balls from the freezer and get another baking sheet.

Step 23: Place the cookie dough balls on the baking pan and spread them about 2 inches apart.

Step 24: After the oven is done heating up place your cookies inside and bake for approximately 11-15 minutes.

Step 25: Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely.

Step 26. Enjoy or chill and enjoy later.

Note:

Keep your cookies refrigerated if you are not going to eat them right away.  Also, while these cookies are delicious, they are also delicate so handle with care.