Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies
Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate chips filled with cheesecake filling. A perfect Christmas cookie!
Servings: 16
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cookies:
- 1 cup Butter (barely softened)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Red Food Coloring or Gel
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter)
- 1 3/4 to 2 cups White Chocolate Chips
Cheesecake Filling:
- (1) 8-ounce pkg. Cream Cheese (barely softened)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Scoop small portions (16 portions) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until firm.
Red Velvet Cookie Dough:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and red food coloring.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Scoop the red velvet dough into 16 balls and flatten them into a disc using your hands. Place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center of the disc. Make sure they are cold enough so they aren't too sticky. Wrap the dough around the cheesecake filling, ensuring it’s fully enclosed. Pinch any seams and roll gently into a smooth ball. Take your time to completely encase the cheesecake filling in the dough. Thin or exposed areas can lead to leaks. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are set. The centers should still look soft. You want to underbake these cookies rather than overbake as they will continue to set up once removed from the oven. Remove from the oven and immediately use a round spatula, the rim of a glass, or a spoon to shape the cookies into perfect circles.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.Optional: Drizzle the cookies with melted white chocolate, extra white chocolate chips, or sprinkle with festive sprinkles for a decorative finish.
Notes
*For a thinner cookie, you can flatten the dough balls or use 2 3/4 cups of flour. For a thicker cookie, roll into a large ball and use 3 cups of flour.
Optional: May add only 1 cup of white chocolate chips to the cookie dough and reserve the other 1 cup of white chocolate for drizzling on the top of the baked cookies. I suggest placing in a microwave safe bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil and microwaving at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring well after each addition until melted. Drizzle on top of the cookies once removed from the oven for a gourmet look.