This recipe should really be in the ADJUST category, because I adjusted the most important part – the TITLE. The cookies I made looked nothing like the recipe that was on Pinterest. They also did not taste much like cheesecake…rather more like lemon cookies. But the thing is…they were AWESOME! You just have to adjust your expectations. I honestly don’t know what they made the cookie dough out of in the pinned version, but I can guarantee you they didn’t use the recipe listed.
With all that out in the open, you should really try these. They’re delicious.
THE RANKINGS (1 = TERRIBLE, 10 = OUTSTANDING)
- Yum Factor – 10 – I think Brooks ate 4 while I wasn’t looking.
- Time to Prep – 8 – These take a bit of work, but it’s not bad.
- Simplicity of Ingredients – 10
- Ease of Assembly – 8 – If you want them to look decent, you have to practice your bowl shaping
- Bang for Your Buck – 10
- Overall Practicality – 9
Lemony Cheesecake Cookies Recipe
1 1/4 c. graham crackers, finely crushed (1 sleeve) – see my crushing tip below
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg, separated (have you seen the bottle trick?)
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Here’s my graham cracker crushing tip – no food processor, no banging, no mess. Just put your crackers in a gallon-sized bag and squeeze all the air out. Now break out your rolling pin and get to rolling! No need to exert a lot of energy…just roll the crackers for a couple of minutes until their finely crushed. Voila! Now, empty your graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder into a medium sized bowl and stir to combine.
In the bowl of your mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream your softened butter and brown sugar. Add your egg white and beat until combined. Then add the graham cracker mixture and blend until just combined. Set aside.
In another bowl (I did this part by hand), beat together your softened cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, egg yolk, and vanilla. Set aside.
Grab a small ice cream scoop (approx 2 oz.), and scoop your dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. {This scooper tip is a great one. I’m going to try it on my thumbprint cookies at Christmas!} Flatten slightly and use your thumbs to create a bowl shape. Spoon the filling into each cookie. Bake until filling is lightly set and cookies are lightly golden – the original recipe says about 12 minutes, but I left mine in a bit longer. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to a baking rack. Now enjoy these tangy bites and share them with your friends!
