Simplified Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for the cheesecake filling. Place in freezer to solidify.
2. In a separate bowl, cream your spiced topping by mixing sugar and pumpkin pie spice for the spiced sugar topping. Set aside.
3. For the pumpkin cookies, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix.
4. Dry your pumpkin puree with a paper towel. It’s extremely important to remove as much excess moisture from the puree to prevent a fakey cookie. Once dry, add purée to butter/sugar mixture and mix.
5. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a separate bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients to form the cookie dough.
6. Create a “sandwich” by layering cookie dough, cheesecake filling, and cookie dough. Ensure that the cookie dough covers all the cheesecake filling.
7. Roll the cookie dough ball in sugar mixture.
8. Bake at 350F for 12 mins until cookies are golden brown.
9. Enjoy your delicious pumpkin cheesecake cookies!