#7 Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Here comes the Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream inspired cookie. Berries will be in season very soon, so a strawberry cookie is very appropriate. You get all of the flavors you would expect in a regular cheesecake: sweet fruit, tangy cream cheese and buttery graham cracker. No fork necessary!

Tips:

Dried - I used freeze-dried strawberries in my recipe because I thought they would hold up better in the dough (my feelings for fresh fruit in cookies are mixed feelings). I also feel that dried fruit concentrates the flavor of the fruit, so you get a nice flavor that cuts through the cream cheese. Fresh strawberries can be substituted, but be careful not to over-stir and add a few minutes to the baking time.

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
Prep Time: 45-50 minutes
Bake Time: 12-14 minutes
 Servings: 3-4 dozen cookies

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup dried or freeze-dried, chopped strawberries

1 (12 oz.) package white chocolate chips

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add in the sugar and mix until  light and fluffy, about two minutes.

2) Add in vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Mix until well-combined.

3) Slowly add in the flour and mix until well incorporated and a dough forms.

4) Stir in the chopped strawberries and white chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough until it is firm, at least 30 minutes.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

6) Place the graham cracker crumbs into a shallow dish or bowl. Scoop the dough by rounded Tablespoons and then roll the dough in the crumbs. 

7) Place the dough on the lined baking sheets two inches apart and bake until golden brown around the edges, 12-14 minutes.

8) Cool for at least five minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.