Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

If you love chocolate chip cheesecake, you’ll adore these Brownie Cheesecake Cookies. I took my favorite elements from brownies and chocolate chip cheesecake and combined them into a cookie. The brownie batter cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges. The cheesecake filling is creamy and smooth and dotted with mini chocolate chips.

The cookie dough should be refrigerated for a few minutes to help make the dough easier to work with. A short amount of chilling time worked best for me. I had minimal spreading during baking, but If your cookies spread to much, you can form the dough balls, add the indentations and refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

Since it’s so close to St. Patrick’s Day, I also made a version with Irish cream filling. See the notes below.*

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Brownie Cheesecake Cookies
Brownie cookies with soft, chewy centers and crisp edges, filled with creamy cheesecake filling and mini chocolate chips.
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Filling
Cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Filling
Cookies
Instructions
Filling
  1. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract together until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. Stir the remaining mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.
Cookies
  1. Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave with short bursts.)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  4. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to work with. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Roll 2-tablespoon (40g) size portions of cookie dough into balls. Place them onto the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Press a 1-inch wide indentation into each cookie dough ball using a pastry tamper, the flat top of a bottle cap or with your thumbs. Spoon a generous 1 teaspoon of filling into each indentation. Sprinkle with the reserved mini chocolate chips.
  6. Bake until the edges are set and beginning to crack, about 9-11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes

To make the Irish cream version of the filling, replace the heavy cream and vanilla extract with 2 teaspoons of Bailey's Irish cream liqueur.

Chocolate Love Potion Cookies

Chocolate Love Potion Cookies

You’ll fall in love with these bewitching double chocolate cookies with pistachios and rose petals. As if the chocolate chips weren’t enough, I topped them with pieces of dark chocolate which melt into heavenly little pools of deliciousness. You may have heard that chocolate is considered to be an aphrodisiac because it contains tryptophan and phenelethylamine. Tryptophen increases the mood booster serotonin in the brain. Phenelethylamine is released by the brain when you fall in love. Pistachios are also considered to be natural aphrodisiacs and these cookies contain plenty of pistachios! The rose petals add a touch of romance to finish off the perfect love potion cookies.

If you’re not a fan of pistachios, feel free to substitute your favorite toasted nuts. If you want to skip the nuts all together, make sure to replace them with another add-in, because the nuts provide structure to the cookies. I recommend dried cherries or white chocolate chips as a nice alternative.

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Chocolate Love Potion Cookies
Double chocolate cookies with chocolate chips and pistachios topped with pools of melted chocolate, chopped pistachios and dried rose petals
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in 3 separate additions and beat until incorporated. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
  6. Form the dough into 18 2-tablespoon size portions, about 2 ounces (57g) each. Form the portions into 2-inch heart shapes. (They don't have to be perfect, because the cookies are going to spread as they bake.) Place the heart shapes on a tray. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Place 6 heart shapes on each cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Top each one with a piece of chocolate bar. I placed my chocolate pieces on the upper left of each cookie. Bake the cookies until the tops look set, about 10-11 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the cookies or they'll be more difficult to shape into hearts.
  8. Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately use a large, metal heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape the hot cookies. Place the cookie cutter onto the cookie sheet over each cookie and slide it up and down a couple of times, then slide it side to side a couple of times. Work quickly before the cookies set. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Top the cookies with chopped pistachios and rose petals before the melted chocolate sets.
Recipe Notes

To find culinary rose petals, click here.

To find the cookie cutter I used, click here.

Pink m&m’s Chocolate Cookies


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Pink m&m's Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate cookies with pink m&m's candies

Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies

Servings
cookies


Ingredients

Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies

Servings
cookies


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

  3. In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

  4. Add egg and vanilla in separate additions and beat until well incorporated.

  5. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.

  6. Gently fold in m&m's.

  7. Place 2-tablespoon size portions, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.**

  8. Add a few more m&m's to the top of each cookie.

  9. Bake until edges are set and tops puff slightly, about 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack.


Recipe Notes

*To find pink m&m's, click here.

**To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are traditional holiday cookies, probably because of the pretty, crackly powdered sugar covered exterior that reminds us of snow. They always seem to show up on cookie trays at Christmas time and I’ve loved them since I was a child. I decided to take my old favorites to another level by adding a surprise inside! Two years ago, I made some cookies with fudge filling that my family and friends raved over. They’re my Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies. To view the recipe, click here. I used the same concept for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I filled them with a simple, smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. The results were absolutely delicious!

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Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies with a smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Fudge Filling
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Fudge Filling
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Instructions
Fudge Filling
  1. In a double boiler or in the microwave*, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Set aside to cool while preparing cookie dough.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  3. Gradually beat in 2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) of powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
  4. Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until smooth. Stop to scrape bowl as needed.
  5. Beat in melted chocolate until combined. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
  6. Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Don't skip this step.
  7. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8. Roll dough into 15 2-inch balls, 1 1/4 ounce each. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk. Place a fudge ball in the center of each disk and wrap dough around it, pinching edges together to seal. Roll dough balls generously in remaining powdered sugar.
  9. Place dough balls three inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies puff up and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes

*To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make cookie dough one day ahead, prepare cookie dough. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours. To make fudge filling one day ahead, prepare filling and chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. 

Chocolate Turtle Drop Cookies

A chocolate turtle is a confection made with caramel and pecans. The shape resembles a turtle, which is how it got the name. This is my version of a turtle cookie, loaded with plenty of delicious add-ins.

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Chocolate Turtle Drop Cookies
Chocolate cookies loaded with chopped chocolate, caramel chips, and toffee bits, topped with pecans.
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
  5. Set aside 20 chunks of the chopped chocolate. Fold the remaining chopped chocolate, the caramel chips and the toffee bits into the dough.
  6. Place twenty 2-inch size portions of dough about 2-inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. (I used a #24 portion scoop*)
  7. Top each cookie with a chunk of the reserved chocolate and a pecan half. Bake until the surface of the cookies is set, about 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute then transfer to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes

To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies

To the indecisive German baker who invented marble cake, I thank you! Marble cake, sampler platters and tasting flights are the perfect solution for those times when you just can’t decide. Let’s take one more decision off the table. No longer will we have to decide between chocolate and strawberry cookies. These marble cookies are the best of both worlds. Chocolate and strawberry are opposites in many ways, but complement each other so well. After all, who doesn’t love chocolate covered strawberries?

The dark chocolate cocoa powder gives these cookies a deep chocolate flavor. Freeze dried strawberries provide the sweet strawberry flavor and color. I crushed the strawberries with a mini food processor, but you can also use a mortar and pestle, a clean spice grinder or a sturdy plastic bag and a rolling pin. When you crush the 1 1/2 cups of freeze dried strawberries called for in the recipe, you’ll end up with about 1/3 cup of strawberry powder. To find freeze dried strawberries, click here.

This recipe makes about eighteen cookies but you can also make nine large cookies. Follow the instructions in parentheses for large cookies.

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Dark Chocolate Strawberry Marble Cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until well combined.
  4. On low speed, mix in flour mixture just until combined.
  5. Divide dough in half. Leave half of dough in the bowl and place the other half in a separate bowl.
  6. Add freeze dried strawberries to half of the dough and mix just until combined
  7. Add cocoa powder to the other half of the dough and mix just until combined.
  8. Roll dough into 1 1/2 teaspoon size balls. (For large cookies, roll dough into tablespoon size balls.)
  9. To form cookies, place two chocolate dough balls and two strawberry dough balls in your hand in a checkerboard pattern. Roll into a ball.
  10. Repeat with remaining dough balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  11. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  12. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  13. Place dough two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
  14. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set and edges are golden. (For large cookies, bake 14-15 minutes.)
  15. Transfer to cooling rack. (For large cookies, cool on cookie sheet one minute, then transfer to cooling rack.

Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies

marshmallow mudslide cookies

Have you ever had mudslide cake? It’s a deliciously messy chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and marshmallows, also known as Mississippi mud cake. I saw one covered in a layer of marshmallow fluff and it made its way into my dreams. I woke up with the inspiration to make a cookie version of the gooey mudslide cake.

I saw a few mudslide cookie recipes out there that used standard size marshmallows and chocolate chips mixed into the cookie dough. If you’ve ever baked with marshmallows, you know that they nearly disappear during the baking process. Chocolate chips melt beautifully into little pools of chocolate, but then harden once cooled to room temperature. I happily volunteered to address these challenges! After some trial and error, I created a satisfying cookie with plenty of gooey marshmallow goodness and a rich fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. Dreams do come true!

marshmallow mudslide cookies

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Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies
Chocolate fudge-filled cookies topped with toasted marshmallows
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Fudge filling
Cookies
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Fudge filling
Cookies
Instructions
Fudge filling
  1. Melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together in a double boiler or in the **microwave in a medium microwave safe bowl.
  2. Stir in chopped nuts. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Cookies
  1. Heat oven to 350º.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer.
  4. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  5. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well combined.
  6. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
  7. Add dry ingredients in two increments, mixing just until combined.
  8. Roll fudge filling into tablespoon sized balls
  9. Roll cookie dough into 1/8 cup balls then flatten into a disc with your fingers and place a ball of fudge filling in the middle of each disc. Wrap the cookie dough around the ball of filling, sealing it completely.
  10. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on large baking sheets.
  11. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
  12. Turn on broiler.
  13. Place a marshmallow on top of each cookie.
  14. Broil cookies until marshmallows are toasted. This takes about 1 minute. CAUTION Watch cookies carefully when broiling! They can go from done to burnt in the blink of an eye!
Recipe Notes

*I used Kraft Jet-Puffed S'moreMallows, but if you're unable to find them, use jumbo marshmallows. Cut them in half lengthwise with kitchen shears. Place on cookies cut side down.

**To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.