Description
Soft, chewy cookies featuring homemade blueberry jam swirls, hidden cream cheese centers, and bright lemon zest, rolled in sparkling sugar for the perfect finish.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese (cold – this is important!)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Blueberry Jam
- 12 oz fresh blueberries (frozen works too if that’s what you have)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Cookie Dough
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled – no packing!)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (very softened – leave it out for 2-3 hours)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
Beat cold cream cheese with sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scoop mixture into 18 portions using about 2 teaspoons each portion. Flatten each portion into small discs on parchment paper. Freeze until completely solid, roughly 30 minutes.
Combine fresh blueberries with sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes until berries start bubbling and softening. Mash half the berries with a fork, leaving some whole for texture. Continue cooking and stirring 10-15 minutes until mixture becomes thick and jammy. Cool completely while preparing cookie dough.
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Rub lemon zest into sugar using your fingers until fragrant. Add softened butter and cream mixture 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
Gently fold cooled blueberry jam into dough in quarters – add one portion, fold briefly, repeat until all jam is added without fully mixing. Scoop dough into 18 balls using 2 tablespoons each. Flatten each ball in your palm, place one frozen cheesecake disc in center, wrap dough around filling and seal edges. Shape into slightly flattened discs. Roll each cookie in remaining sugar.
Bake 6 cookies at a time, spacing them apart on prepared sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes until edges are set and lightly golden. Centers may appear slightly underdone. Rest cookies on baking sheet 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Don’t mix the jam all the way in – those purple swirls look cool and give you jam pockets. Make all your cookies the same size so they bake evenly. Rolling them in sugar makes them sparkly and adds crunch. Take them out when they look almost done because they keep cooking on the hot pan.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American