Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

I consider myself a pretty savvy shopper.  I like to pinch my pennies and love a good bargain.  So even though I have been trying to do my baking from scratch, I am still sometimes suckered in to buying a box of cake mix when I see its price slashed.  Thus, many moons ago I found myself with a box of red velvet cake mix, and no plans to use it.

When I saw this recipe for red velvet cheesecake cookies I was instantly intrigued.  Who could resist a cookie made from red velvet cake batter and filled with a little ball of cheesecake?  Not me!  When I saw that it used a box of red velvet cake mix, I knew I had found a solution to my little cake mix dilemma.  And these pretty red cookies with the cream cheese glaze make the perfect treat for your valentine. 

I thought because this recipe used a cake mix, I would promote it as a great recipe for someone who wants a creative cookie in a flash.  But when I read a little closer, I realized that it requires 2 hours to chill the dough and the cheesecake filling.  So maybe they're not great if you want instant cookies, but they are great!  When you take a bite of the moist, rich cookie to find a gooey, sweet cheesecake filling, you will be in love!  

And while these take a little foresight to make, they are really easy.  I started by making the cheesecake filling.  To do this, just beat together cream cheese (I used reduced fat), powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Then form it into 10 balls.  The original recipe I used said to use a teaspoon for each ball.  I started doing that, but I had a would have had way more than 10 balls.  So I switched to a tablespoon, and heaped it.  Put the cheesecake balls on a plate and put the plate in the freezer for 2 hours.  I actually made mine the day before I made the cookies.

All you do to make the cookie dough is mix together the cake mix, 2 tablespoons of additional flour, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup of canola oil until it's all well mixed.  The batter will be oily.  Take that as a sign that the cookies are going to be delicious!

Wrap up the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  I apparently can't read because I put mine in the freezer.  It turned out fine, and I didn't even realize I was supposed to put it in the refrigerator until I typed the recipe out later.  But the dough was cold for the next step!  After two hours of chillin', make 10 balls of dough using a 1/4 cup scoop and flatten with your hand.

Place a cheesecake ball onto the center of the dough like so:

And fold the cookie dough over the cheesecake ball.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I wouldn't put more than 4 or 5 cookies on a large baking sheet.  These babies are pretty big.  Like gestational diabetes babies.  Sorry, a little dietitian humor!  Anyway, back to cookies.  Bake for about 11-13 minutes.  I had to bake mine a little longer.  I think because my dough was in the freezer for a day before I made them. 

I didn't take pictures of making the cream cheese glaze I used, but it is as simple as melting butter and cream cheese together, and then stirring in powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  I thought you could handle it!  Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.  The recipe says to wait until the cookies are cool.  I think it's foolish not to eat cookies when they are hot out of the oven, so that's when mine got glazed.  Yeah, a hot cookie melts the glaze a little bit, but I think that just makes it even better!

Even though these are heavenly, my husband and I somehow managed not to eat all of them at one time.  I am so proud of us!  He had one the next day cold and said it was still really good.  I'll take his word for it and stick to my hot-out-of-the-oven cookies.  Yum!

My valentine absolutely loved these cookies.  I am sure yours will too!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

For the cheesecake filling:

4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cream cheese glaze:

2 oz reduced fat cream cheese

4 Tbsp margarine

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the cookies:  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix until smooth.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To make the cheesecake filling:  Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.  Mix until smooth.  Using a tablespoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate.  Continue scooping out cheesecake filling until you have 10 balls.  Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

To assemble the cookies, take about 1/4 cup of red velvet cookie dough and flatten in your hands.  Place a cheesecake filling ball in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling.  Gently roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake only 4 cookies at a time as the cookies are large.  Bake 11-13 minutes or until the cookies begin to crackle.  Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Remove from baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze:  In a small microwaveable bowl, melt together the margarine and cream cheese.  Whisk  together until smooth.  Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Cookies adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod.  Glaze adapted from Recipe Girl