Description
Delight in these Cheesecake Stuffed Gingerbread Cookies, featuring a soft and spiced gingerbread dough enveloping a luscious cream cheese filling. These festive cookies combine warm holiday spices with creamy sweetness, perfect for sharing or enjoying with a cup of tea during the winter season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Gingerbread Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup unsulphered molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Spiced Sugar Coating:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a medium bowl, beat together 8 ounces of cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract using a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Chill Filling: Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, portion 1 ½ teaspoon scoops of the cheesecake mixture onto the paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat ½ cup melted unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, and ¼ cup molasses until well combined. Add 1 large egg and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Form Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare Spiced Sugar Coating: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Set aside for rolling the cookies.
- Preheat Oven: When dough and cheesecake filling are almost chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape Dough Discs: Remove dough from the fridge. For each cookie, use a medium cookie scoop to portion two 1 ½ tablespoon dollops of dough. Gently press each into discs about 1 ½ inches wide, keeping the center thicker and the edges thinner. Repair any tears with your fingers and shape the discs to be slightly bowl-shaped for filling.
- Assemble Cookies: Place one chilled cheesecake filling scoop onto one dough disc, then top with a second disc. Carefully pinch the edges of the two discs together to seal the filling inside without tearing the dough or letting filling squeeze out. Smooth any cracks by warming the dough slightly with your fingers.
- Finish Shaping: Gently round and smooth the pinched edges with your fingers, then lightly roll the dough to form a uniform, smooth circle around the seal.
- Coat and Bake: Roll each sealed cookie in the spiced sugar mixture. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 ½ to 3 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes until set and aromatic.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool on the baking racks for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a baking sheet or serving warm. Enjoy the cookies while soft and creamy inside.
Notes
- Keep the cream cheese filling chilled until assembly to make handling easier.
- Be gentle when sealing the dough discs to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
- If the dough cracks, warming it slightly with your fingertips will make it more pliable.
- Cookies are best enjoyed warm but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- For firmer filling, chill cookies after baking in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
