Cheesecake Ginger Cookies
Chewy spiced molasses cookies rolled up with a thin ribbon of sweetened cream cheese for a bakery-style swirl. Slice-and-bake friendly, freezer-friendly, and big on holiday flavor.
Servings 24
Cost 5
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Swirl
- ¾ cup cream cheese, softened (170 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (10 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
Cookie Dough
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more if needed (300 to 330 grams)
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses (80 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make cream cheese swirl first. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt until smooth.
- Spread onto parchment in an 8×10-inch rectangle about ⅛–¼ inch thick, then freeze just until firm but still flexible. This takes at least an hour. If the cream cheese isn't firm enough it won't come off the parchment. Not a big deal because you can still spread it, but give it time to firm up.
- Make the dough. Whisk flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter with both sugars just until blended. Add the egg, molasses and vanilla and beat until blended, scraping the side of the bowl well.
- Stir in flour mixture to make a soft dough.
- Divide dough in half. On parchment, pat one half into an 8x10 inch rectangle.
- Lay the firm cream cheese sheet on top, leaving a ¼-inch border.
- Pat the other half of dough to the same size and place on top. This doesn't need to be a perfect rectangle, just do your best.
- Roll up tightly from the long side into a log (like a jelly roll). Wrap and chill until firm (will take a couple of hours) or freeze (should only take 30 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Slice log into ½ to ¾ inch rounds. Lay the rounds on a dinner plate and chill for 10 minutes or put them directly on the cookie sheet and chill the whole sheet.
- Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, until edges are set and tops just dry. This bake time is not exact. Check at 12 minutes. If you want the cookies really soft, pull them as soon as they start to look done. Go the full 15 or even longer for less gooey. They will not be dry thanks to the cream cheese.
- Slice parchment paper onto the counter and let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes or until they are stable enough to transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely. Serve room temperature or chill.