Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies (Print Version)

Large cookies with a frozen cheesecake filling center, strawberry-studded dough, and swirled fresh strawberry jam throughout.

# Ingredients:

→ For the Strawberry Jam

01 - 10 oz fresh strawberries, finely diced (280g)
02 - 3 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar (42g)

→ For the Cheesecake Filling

03 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened (170g)
04 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (38g)
05 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For the Strawberry Cookies

06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (113g)
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315g)
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 3/4 cup finely diced fresh strawberries (130g)
15 - 1/4 cup homemade strawberry jam (from above)
16 - Granulated sugar for topping

# Instructions:

01 - Wash, dry, and hull the fresh strawberries. Finely dice them and place in a medium pot with the light brown sugar. Stir well.
02 - Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes very thick and reduces to about 1/3 to 1/4 cup. This will take about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
03 - Measure out 1/4 cup of the cooled strawberry jam, transfer to a small bowl, and chill in the refrigerator. This is the amount you'll use in the cookies.
04 - Beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy.
05 - Line a tray with baking paper. Scoop out 12 portions of the cheesecake filling (about 1 tablespoon each) onto the paper.
06 - Slightly flatten each ball of filling and place the entire tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour until the filling is completely firm. This is crucial for assembling the cookies.
07 - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Note: Bake 6 cookies at a time since they're large.
08 - In a bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the egg and whisk well until combined.
09 - Using a spatula, fold in the mixture of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be very thick and seem dry, but that's perfectly fine!
10 - Gently fold the finely diced fresh strawberries into the dough until evenly distributed.
11 - This is the key step! Push about 3/4 of the dough to the side of the bowl. Flatten out the remaining dough on the bottom of the bowl. Using a teaspoon, dot about 1/3 of the jam onto the bottom and sides of this flattened dough. Scrape about half of the batter from the sides and cover the dough on the bottom, then dot with another 1/3 of the jam. Finally, repeat with the remaining dough and jam. The goal is to swirl the jam throughout without turning the entire dough pink - you want pretty swirls!
12 - Scoop the dough into 12 portions and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
13 - After chilling, flatten out each portion of dough slightly. Place a frozen cheesecake disc in the center of each portion. Seal the cheesecake completely inside the cookie dough, then shape into a ball. If the dough is sticky, wet your hands with water or spray with non-stick spray to help.
14 - Place each cookie dough ball on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 4 inches apart since they spread as they bake. Slightly flatten each ball and sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.
15 - Bake for 13 to 16 minutes until the edges are light golden brown. The centers will look slightly underdone, which is perfect!
16 - Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. They're too soft to move right out of the oven, so be patient. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

# Notes:

01 - These cookies have a creamy cheesecake center surrounded by strawberry-studded cookie dough - it's like eating strawberry cheesecake in cookie form!
02 - Freezing the cheesecake filling beforehand is essential - it keeps it from melting into the dough and helps maintain distinct layers.
03 - The jam swirling technique keeps the dough from turning completely pink, creating beautiful swirled patterns instead.
04 - These cookies are large and impressive - perfect for special occasions or when you want a show-stopping dessert.
05 - Don't skip the 10-minute rest time on the baking sheet - the cookies need this to firm up enough to transfer without breaking apart.
06 - Because of the cream cheese filling, store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for longer storage - they'll keep for up to 5 days.

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