If you are anything like me, you are always working with different cookie recipes….all year long….but incessantly during the holidays! We always love our tried and true recipes over the holidays ~ iced Christmas cookies, lemon bars, skillet cookies, homemade fudge, snowball cookies, and nut cups are some of our favorites! However, we also love to add new recipes into the mix. The Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies are one of the additions this year….and they are amazing!
Don’t you just love the aroma that fills the whole house when you are doing holiday baking? You can close your eyes and it takes you back in time….helps you to remember all the years of Christmas past. I always loved when my kids were small how their little faces would light up with all the festive goodies. Now we get to watch our precious grandchildren experiencing all the same “feels.”
Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies Ingredients ~
For the Cookies ~
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
6 tsp red food coloring
2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar/sanding sugar/coarse sugar (your preference)
For the Filling ~
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions ~
Preheat oven to 300°. Prepare baking sheet by lightly spraying with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Mix the butter, brown sugar, egg yok, salt and vanilla until thoroughly mixed and fluffy. Add in the food coloring and blend until just mixed (don’t overmix). Add flour and cocoa powder until soft dough is formed.
Roll tablespoon size dough balls (or use cookie scoop) and then roll in sugar before placing on baking sheet. Use back of spoon or cookie scoop, gently make a small indentation in each ball of dough.
Bake for 8 minutes.
While first batch is baking, mix softened cream cheese, egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth.
Remove cookies from oven and make another indentation a bit deeper to form a good well in the cookie. Pour cream cheese mixture into the well of each cookie. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until filling is set.
(This handy gadget above is one of my favorites from Pampered Chef! Check out Rose’s website for this and more awesome kitchen gadgets!
Let cool before serving.
Tips ~
→Using sanding sugar or course sugar to roll cookies in gives a bit more of a “sparkly” finished texture. These sugars don’t melt as much in heat. For an extra festive touch, use colored sugars.
*WHEN YOU MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS I MAY EARN COMMISSIONS FROM AMAZON OR OTHER RETAILERS. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT MY EDITORIAL AND AFFILIATE POLICY HERE! THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY SMALL BUSINESS!
→Using a cookie scoop ensure same size dough balls which helps to ensure that the cooking time needed is the same for all cookies.
→Be careful when making indentations to not push too hard. You do not want it to go completely through the cookie. You need to have enough cookie dough underneath to hold the form of the cookie.
→Do not over bake these cookies. Cook just long enough that the filling is set.
→Let cookies cool 10 minutes before moving to serving platter.
→Be sure to refrigerate leftovers!
Occasions for Serving ~
Of course, Christmas is a perfect time to serve these little cookies that not only look festive but taste absolutely delicious. However, don’t store this recipe just under Chrismtas baking. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. These will make the perfect touch to any Valentine’s Day spread!
Do you throw an Oscars Red Carpet party? Oh my goodness, how perfect will these be for that night? Any red carpet night deserves some red velvet cheesecake cookies. Don’t forget birthday parties and anniversaries. These little gems are perfect for numerous occasions!
Are You a Red Velvet Fanatic? ~
While these cookies definitely need to be on your baking list, there are so many other delicious red velvet recipes out there. I am a huge Southern Living fan and this post on Southern LIving with 22 red velvet recipes definitely deserves to be looked at! There are so many wonderfully decadent recipes in this link!
For now, there are still definitely enough days to make these delicious cookies for this year’s Christmas and/or New Year’s celebrations. I know there will be more batches made in our household along with our traditional favorites! What are some of your tried and true recipes? Would love to hear about them!
Happy Baking My Friends ~
Mimi
