It’s an unexpected delight, and I bet you won’t be able to stop at just one cookie! These cookies are made with cream of tartar and rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture, resembling snickerdoodles. These gingerbread cheesecake cookies are made from the cookie dough base of my gingerbread snickerdoodles. The only thing I changed was using shortening in this recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
They’re perfectly soft (and stay soft for days) and chewy; thanks for the shortening. Full of gingerbread flavor; they taste like Christmas! Cheesecake surprise! The cheesecake is the middle is unexpectedly delicious. And psst: these cookies are really good cold, just like cheesecake!
Ingredient Notes
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below).
For the cheesecake filling: you’ll need softened cream cheese, so be sure to take it out of the fridge before you plan to start baking. You’ll also need powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Shortening: feel free to swap with butter, or use a mix of half shortening, and half butter. All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie dough. Be sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t end up with more than you need. Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise. Cream of Tartar: Provides the classic snickerdoodle tang and assists with leavening. When combined with baking soda, cream of tartar reacts to produce carbon dioxide gas. This reaction helps the cookies to rise and spread properly, giving them their characteristic texture and appearance. Spices: Ground Ginger: Essential for the gingerbread flavor.Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and pairs well with the ginger. Ground Cloves & Nutmeg: Enhances the gingerbread flavor. Salt: Balances the sweetness. Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a deeper flavor, typical of gingerbread. I chose to use all brown sugar for this recipe. You can use light or dark, I usually use dark. Molasses: A key ingredient in gingerbread, contributing to the depth of flavor and color. I use an unsulphured molasses. For Rolling the Dough: Granulated Sugar: To coat the cookie dough balls. Ground Cinnamon: Mixed with the sugar for rolling; imparts the classic snickerdoodle flavor on the outside.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below).
Success Tips
Make the cheesecake filling in advance: this helps to ensure the filling is very cold, and will make baking the cookies streamlined and easy to bring together. If you feel the cookie dough it too soft, and hard to work with chill it to make it easier to handle. Be careful not to add too much cheesecake filling; 1-2 tsp. is plenty. Too much filling can cause the cookies to crack or split during baking. Pinch the edges of the dough completely around the filling to ensure no gaps or cracks.
Storage
Room temperature: store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Fridge: I store in an airtight container for up to 10 days. (I personally like these ones cold!) Freezer: freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
