Cheesecakes are one of those specialty items to me where you only make them on certain occasions, like the holidays. But I like to crush those dessert ideals one cookie at a time. More often than not, I’m likely to go for a classic, plain cheesecake (unless it’s this key lime cheesecake which I will devour immediately on site) but it must have some type of fruit - preferably cherries - spooned over the top, to balance the cheesy sweetness with a pop of flavor.

Since everyone loves a good cookie, I thought, why not make a cheesecake cookie with this classic combo? I like my cherry cheesecake in it’s own sections. There is the clear layer of graham cracker crust, the classic cheesecake, and then a topping of the cherry preserves. These cookies reflect that with a yummy graham cracker cookie base, fresh cherry preserves (though you can use canned - I’ve been a Comstock stan my whole life), and a swoop of classic cream cheese frosting. 

It’s a cheesecake in every bite, just handheld and more cookie style. You can also make the frosting and preserves in advance, to make the cookie baking and assembly hour a little smoother. Regardless, it’s an easy recipe with all the right elements.

Yields: 19 cookies

Ingredients:

COOKIES

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 

• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

CHERRY FILLING

• 2 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted

• ⅓ cup sugar

• ⅛ cup cornstarch

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 oz cream cheese, room temperature

• 6 tbsp salted butter, room temperature

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

COOKIES

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until creamy and light. 3 MINUTES

• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the Biscoff cookie crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

• Roll two tablespoons of dough into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place only six cookies on the sheet per bake, leaving enough space between each cookie, as they will spread slightly.

• Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the cookies from the oven and use a small measuring cup (I used a ⅛ cup) to gently press an indent into each cookie. Return to the oven and cook an additional two minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The centers may still look a bit soft, but they will firm up as they cool. You may need to lightly press the middle indent in again when you remove them from the oven.

• Move the cookies immediately to a wire rack to cool completely - they will still be soft, so gently transfer them over.

CHERRY FILLING

• Cut half of your pitted cherries in half and the other half, in quarters. This will create a variety of cherry bites as you eat it.

• Place all ingredients into a medium pot, stir, and place over medium-high heat

• Bring mixture to a boil and remove from heat. If you have extra juicy cherries you can boil for a minute but keep a close eye so to not burn your mixture! It should thicken quickly

• Transfer immediately to a dish, to cool at room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill completely

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• Cream together your cream cheese and salted butter in the bowl of a mixer. 

• Sift in powdered sugar and mix.

• Add in your vanilla and tablespoon of milk and combine

• Place into a piping bag and store in the fridge until ready to use. You can do this with or without a nozzle - I used an 807 piping tip.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a spoonful of cherry filling into each indent of your cooled cookies. 

• Pipe the cream cheese frosting around the rim of your cookies

• Voila! Enjoy!

If you love these cookies, do please tag @accentgolden in your social posts so I can see all your yummy bakes!

Note: the cherry preserves recipe is adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction’s cherry pie filling