Little Ivy Cakes

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies:
Hello! Deee-licious.

I have a friend who happens to love strawberry cheesecake. I needed to think of something that I could make for her birthday that was quicker and easier than making cheesecake. Now that I have my precious baby-Isaak, I don't have the leisurely time to bake all day. So, I thought, cookies! Cookies are simple enough. Perfect, strawberry cheesecake cookies it is! To make these, I put Isaak to bed at 8PM and slept myself from 8 to midnight. Made Cookies from Midnight to about 3AM. Cleaned up and took shower. Went to bed at 4:30 AM. Woke up at 7AM and went to work. My reward? being able to give, satisfying my creativity in the kitchen, and the satisfaction that they actually turned out. Everyone said they were REALLY good.

The only thing I would try to improve on is their appearance. They could look just a bit more dainty and pretty in my opinion.

Batter without chocolate

Batter with chocolate

Ivy's Strawberry cheesecake Cookie Recipe:
Makes 35 medium size cookies

What you need
2 cups organic flour
1/2 tsp salt
2(1 cup) sticks unsalted butter, room temp
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 cup natural cane sugar
2 small-medium eggs
1 tbs vanilla
Some vanilla bean paste or powder if you have it
1 1/4 cup diced fresh strawberries
2 honey graham crackers that are coarsely crumbed
1/4-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips(optional), melted in a double boiler.
(large glass bowl over some simmer water in a pot.)
*I did half the batch without chocolate, and then swirled the melted chocolate in after I was done baking the regular cookies.

What to do 
-Preheat oven to 350 F
-Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
-Melt your chocolate chips and set aside
-Rinse strawberries and dice, set aside
-Whisk flour and salt with a fork in a bowl and set aside
-With an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy
-Add sugar and majorly fluffifiy it!
-Add one egg at a time
-Add vanilla and vanilla bean if your using.
-Mix well
-Gently fold in strawberries
-*Very gently swirl in chocolate to batter when ready.
-Spoon or use cookie scoop cookies in small round mounds around 1 1/2 inches apart, they spread
-Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top
-Bake for about 10 minutes or until you start seeing the edges browning.
-Let cool on cooling rack and then transfer to a plate.
-Store room temp for a day or fridge for a couple days.

That's all, Stay Cute!