Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

I've discovered the secret to chocolate chip cookies that never get hard... cream cheese! These little cookies are so perfect and delicious!! You'll amaze any and every one who tries these cookies. They literally do melt in your mouth.

You will need:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tbsp. imitation vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg

To start:
1.  Let the butter and cream cheese set out for about 30 minutes to get soft.  If the cream cheese is not soft enough, it will ruin the consistency of the cookies.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, including the chocolate chips.
4.  Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture 1/3 at a time.
5.  Heat oven to 325 F.  Line a 9x13 cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop cookies onto it.  This batter is runny, so don't try to to roll into balls unless you want sticky hands! Drop them 1 1/2 inch apart because they will spread.
6.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until cookies don't jiggle when the pan is shaken.
7.  Allow the cookies to cool down completely before removing them from the sheet, otherwise the bottoms will fall out.

Yields: 3 dozen small cookies

I absolutely adore these cookies. Bake with caution: they are extremely rich and highly addictive.

Happy Baking!!

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

My family was needing a little comfort food tonight, and these cookies were the perfect fix.  They're tangy and sweet and so addictive.  They're soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth!! I frosted mine with Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream (my newest obsession!)  This icing complements these sweet little cookies perfectly and I strongly suggest using it with this recipe!

Yields 36-48 cookies

You will need:
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond meal (sifted)
5/6 cup (1/2 plus 1/3 cup) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

To begin:
1. Your cream cheese needs to set out for 25 to 30 minutes before being used.  If it's not soft enough, it will cause the batter to be clumpy. Pre-heat oven to 325 F and line two 9x13 cookie sheets with parchment.
2.  Once the cream cheese is soft enough, cream it together with the sugar, lemon juice, and egg.  Mix well until there are no clumps.
3.  In another bowl, combine the sifted almond meal, flour, baking soda, and confectioners sugar. Add a quarter of the dry mixture to the wet mixture at a time.
4.  Drop dough balls 1 1/2 inch away from each other. The dough should be a little runny, so once it hits the cookie sheet, it will spread itself out.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges.
5.  Let the cookies cool before removing them from the parchment. If you try to take them off too soon, the bottoms will fall out of them.
6.  Once the cookies are completely cool, ice them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  This icing is extremely sensitive to heat, so make sure you've allowed your cookies enough time to sit.

I love these cookies! They're fun to personalize and decorate, not to mention soooo tasty! I hope you found this recipe helpful and simple!! Happy baking!