I’ve fallen so far behind in my posts that I’m going back over a week now since I made these cookies. Generally I post the same (or the next) day I make something to give some perspective. No big deal except I didn’t make any notes on my impression of these cookies and my memory isn’t the best, so I won’t have a ton to say…
I whipped these up one afternoon because I wanted to make cookies and hadn’t baked anything from my Martha Stewart cookbook in a while and as I flipped through these caught my eye. I had some cream cheese sitting in the fridge that I needed to use up so they were a great choice. They came together easily though they are a little bit more time consuming than your typical cookie since you need to roll the dough into balls, make an indentation, bake for a bit, make the indentations again, let them cool and then finally add the cheesecake filling. As usual, I was impatient and didn’t refrigerate for the suggested 4 hours before trying the cookies. As soon as they were cool enough to eat, I tried one. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients I really enjoyed the cookies. They’re a basic shortbread with good flavor and texture and the cheesecake filling pairs well with them!
By Tracey
Cheesecake Thumbprints
from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream
- 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and egg yolk; beat to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, mixing until just combined.
Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls, and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Using the lightly floured end of a thick wooden spoon handle (or your thumb), make an indentation in the center of each ball.
Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven and make indentations again. Rotate sheets, return to oven, and bake until edges of cookies begin to turn golden, 7 to 9 minutes more. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a small teaspoon, fill the center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon cream cheese filling, mounding it slightly. Return cookies to the oven, and bake until the filling is firm, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container at least 4 hours before serving.
