Description
Zesty lemon cheesecake cookies blend creamy richness with tangy brightness, creating a perfect dessert harmony. Dessert enthusiasts will savor these delightful treats that melt in your mouth with irresistible citrus charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
Sugars and Sweeteners:
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Flavor Enhancers and Binding Agents:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Craft the creamy cheesecake core by whisking cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice until velvety. Chill the mixture in the freezer for approximately 15 minutes to achieve a firm consistency.
- In a spacious mixing vessel, whip butter and sugar until ethereally light. Incorporate egg, vanilla essence, and lemon zest, blending until uniformly smooth.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate container. Gradually integrate dry ingredients into the wet mixture, kneading until a tender dough emerges.
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking trays with parchment. Extract approximately 1.5 tablespoons of dough, gently flattening each portion.
- Position a modest dollop of chilled cheesecake filling at the center of each dough circle. Meticulously encase the filling, ensuring complete sealment by rolling into a perfect sphere.
- Arrange cookie spheres across the prepared baking sheet, maintaining roughly 2 inches between each.
- Roast for 10-12 minutes until edges solidify and surfaces slightly elevate. Prevent excessive baking to maintain cookie tenderness.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Optional: Dust with powdered sugar for an elegant, ethereal finish.
Notes
- Chill the cheesecake filling thoroughly to ensure it stays intact when wrapping inside the cookie dough, preventing messy leaks during baking.
- Use room temperature cream cheese and butter for smoother, easier mixing that creates a more uniform texture in both filling and cookie dough.
- For gluten-free variations, swap regular flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the same measurements and mixing technique.
- Control portion sizes by using a small cookie scoop, which helps create consistent cookies and ensures even distribution of the cheesecake filling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 187
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 93 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg