Cheesecake Almond Cookies
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Tender cookies with subtle cheesecake tang. Almond extract swapped in, a nod to my favorite twist. Cream cheese and butter whipped for softness, the dough slightly sticky, not overworked. Baked until edges firm but no browning to keep that pale cheesecake look. A thumbprint pressed right from the hot pan, cooling just enough before icing. Keeps grind simple but controlled. Cookies spring back under touch, slight cracks forming like a hint they are set. Classic powdered sugar icing dolloped in wells. Candied cherry for punch, tart and sweet contrast. Storing tips and swap outs included for ingredient fumbles.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
15 min
Total:
35 min
Servings:
30 servings
#American
#cookie
#almond extract
#cream cheese
#baking tips
Have a soft spot for cheesecake cookies? Me too. Blending cream cheese into cookie dough creates a tender crumb that has made me rethink texture in sweets. Almond extract, my personal nod, pushes this away from generic. Baking times? Tricky. Seen these cookies go from soft to cake with just a minute off. The thin crackles on top, a sign they’re set but gentle. Thumbprint pressed hot keeps shape but needs timing, or icing slips off. I’ve learned cooling on sheet a bit helps avoid crumbled balls. Think less cookie, more tender marshmallow base holding that sweet cherry crown. Makes a neat batch for parties, or when the fridge demands leftover cream cheese magic. Plus, these store well but you must cover them airtight.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- cooking spray
- powdered sugar icing
- candied cherries for topping
About the ingredients
Flour mix is your cookie’s skeleton here — baking powder over baking soda for that slight rise but not heavy puff. Salt balances the sweetness, don’t skip. Cream cheese should be softened but not melted, otherwise texture bites back a dense mess. Butter softened to room temp helps cream in sugar easier; don’t use melted unless you want a cakey flop. Almond extract swapped in for vanilla changes personality, but vanilla is fine. Eggs bind dough and add richness. Spray your scoop often, dough sticks like bubblegum otherwise. Powdered sugar icing is forgiving; homemade with lemon juice or store-bought both do fine. Candied cherries, optional but deliver color and tang. Watch out if cherry juice stains your dough or fingers during assembly.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Always parchment; forget foil here — edges stick and ruin bottoms.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt vigorously. No lumps. Sets the stage for cookies that hold shape but don’t toughen. Resist grabbing coarse sift. Just fine whisk.
- In mixer bowl, paddle attachment preferred but hand mixer fine, cream softened cream cheese and butter. Go until that light fluff, no grit of cold chunks hiding. Smooth base is critical.
- Add sugar in chunks, keep beating 1-2 minutes. Don’t skimp — sugar dissolves and aerates dough, it’s subtle but matter.
- Mix in almond extract and eggs slowly. I suggest one egg at a time; Yolks bring richness, whites keep bounce. Overmixing eggs here will bake rubber bands non-stop.
- Add flour mixture gradually. Fold just to combine; a few streaks left better than tough chew. Dough should be thick, sticky but scoopable.
- Spray a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop with cooking spray, scoop heaping mounds onto sheet 2 inches apart. Spray scoop between batches or dough sticks like glue. No scrape with fingers or will soften dough velocity loss.
- Bake 13-16 minutes; edges firm, pale, no brown. Crackled tops and gentle bounce under finger. Oven times vary — trust these cues. Underbake, cookies collapse; overbake, crumbly.
- Out of oven, immediately press thumb or back 1/4 teaspoon into each cookie forming well. Press firmly but don’t punch through. Gives a dish for icing. Wait 5 minutes on sheet to start setting; still warm but handle them gently.
- Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Cold cookies keep structure for icing application; warm ones melt it.
- Fill wells with powdered sugar icing spooned carefully. Dollop small, not flooding sides. Add candied cherry while icing tacky, gently press. If icing sets before cherry, they slide or sink.
- Store airtight once fully cooled. Refrigerate if cream cheese and icing linger a few days. Improvised twists? Swap almond for vanilla, lemon zest if feeling bold. Cream cheese can be Neufchâtel for lower fat, keeps texture dense but works fine.
Cooking tips
Timing is flavor and texture. Preheat fully — 350°F, consistent heat key. Mixing cream cheese and butter till smooth is crucial because lumps make uneven dough that bakes odd. Take your time with sugar to let air fold in. Incorporate eggs one by one, slow — overmix turns dense. Adding flour too fast or mixing too long guesses toughness. Scoop well-spaced or cookies glue into one giant wreck. Baking is where patience wins: pale edges, cracks tell you the story, not just the clock. Press thumbprint right after oven when dough is pliable but set; cool enough and the indentation won’t disappear. Cooling on pan 5 min is magic for structure; rush moving or icing melts and slides. Icing thick or thin consistency changes — adjust to keep cherries perched. Store airtight to keep from drying out, refrigeration recommended if storing past 2 days to keep cream cheese freshness.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cream softened cream cheese and butter just right. Cold lumps kill texture. Beat until light fluff. Not greasy, not dense. Air in sugar dissolves slowly. Skip rushed creaming or grit lingers.
- 💡 Add eggs one at a time. Yolks lend richness. Whites bounce dough. Overmix eggs? Rubber bands—no stretch, tough bite. Fold flour gently. Few streaks better than tough chew. Sticky dough means soft cookies, hold shape.
- 💡 Spray scoop mid-batch. Dough sticks bad. No scraping fingers or lose dough velocity. Mounds spaced two inches apart. Bake at 350 with parchment only. Foil edges stick, ruin bottoms—learned from scorched trials.
- 💡 Watch baking cues not clock. Edges firm, pale, no brown here. Crackled tops hint done. Too long, dry crumb. Too short, cookies collapse flat. Press thumbprint immediately hot but careful. Don’t punch holes. Cool 5 minutes before transfer.
- 💡 Powdered sugar icing spooned in wells gently. Dollop small. If icing dries first, cherries slide or sink. Add candy cherry while tacky. Store airtight. Fridge if longer than two days. Cream cheese and icing spoil faster.
Common questions
Why no foil for baking?
Foil edges stick, you lose bottoms. Parchment key for non-stick and pale edges. Tried foil, trash batch. Parchment solves sticking clean.
How to avoid tough cookies?
Don’t overmix flour. Fold just to combine. Overworking makes dense. Eggs slow in. Cream cheese lumps wreck dough. Soften properly. Timing kitchen help too.
What if dough sticks to scoop?
Spray scoop between each scoop. Spray often. No scraping fingers or dough softens and messes shape. Sticky dough needs lubrication. Baking spray or non-stick essential.
How to store cookies?
Airtight container best. Fridge if cream cheese or icing present. Short term? Room temp but no more than a day or two. Cover well, keep moisture in. Cherry juice stains if exposed.
