White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies

For the Cheesecake Filling

Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cream cheese, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla to a small mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until the cream cheese mixture is fluffy and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold, 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated white sugar, 1/8 tsp peppermint extract, 1/2 tsp vanilla
Scoop the cheesecake mixture into 16, 2 teaspoon portions onto the baking sheet.
Pop the cheesecake balls into the freezer until they are frozen and very firm.

For the Peppermint Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
1 3/4 cups (218 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. (You can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.)
3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened, 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
Add in the egg yolks, peppermint extract and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix for one minute on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
2 egg yolks, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine on low speed.
Add in the crushed candy cane pieces and white chocolate chips. Fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.
1 heaping cup (200 g) white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (90 g) crushed candy cane pieces
Scoop the dough into 16 portions with a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Press cookie dough to slightly flatten it out, then place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center. Then close the cheesecake ball in with the cookie dough and roll into a ball again. Make sure the cheesecake is completely covered in cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough balls in sugar.
(Keep the cheesecake balls in the freezer until ready to use for each batch of cookies.)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar, for rolling the dough in
Transfer the cookie dough to a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 6 cookies at a time for 10 minutes 30 seconds-12 minutes.
When the cookies are straight out of the oven, literally seconds after you take them out, scoot an extra large circular cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape! They will spread while baking and this step helps to push everything back together and give you a thicker, chewier cookie. You can also use a spoon to push the edges together if you don't have an extra large circular cookie cutter.
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with extra crushed candy cane pieces, then serve!
extra crushed candy cane pieces for sprinkling

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake Filling

For the Peppermint Cookies

Instructions

For the Cheesecake Filling

For the Peppermint Cookies