I saw these in My Kitchen Cafe and I knew I had to make them. Rocky and Brayden LOVE cheesecake, so I knew they would like these. I am the only one who likes cherry, so I used strawberry pie filling instead. I had wanted to use raspberry, but they were all out. I was a little worried at first. I thought the strawberry filling was a little nasty. But, once it was cooked, it tasted fine. These cookies are SOOOO good!! The recipe makes alot, and they are rich, so I am making Rocky take some to work with him tomorrow. No pictures again. My camera is broken. I wanted one for Christmas, but it looks like it will have to wait. Anyway, for a picture, head over to My Kitchen Cafe( I was going to put in a link, but I forgot how. Help anyone??)
Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cans (20 oz) cherry pie filling
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl with and electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll the balls in graham cracker crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries(I put 2 strawberries) in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
It really helps if the dough is really cold. I kept the bowl in the fridge between batches.
