The Martin Cooking

Rating: 5
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes
Yield: about 2 dozen cookies
Sweet and spicy gingerbread thumbprint cookies with cheesecake centers and a chocolate drizzle.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

chocolate drizzle:

• 1/2 cup white chocolate
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1. Make the filling: In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese and brown sugar on medium speed 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream on low then egg and vanilla. Refrigerate.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together 2 sticks of the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy about 2 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with the spices then gradually add to the wet mixture beginning on low speed and increasing to medium until well combined.
5. Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls. Place about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and use the end of a wooden spoon or the bottom of a small, rounded measuring spoon pressed into the middle of the cookie to make an indent. Fill the indent with a small spoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake 8 more minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
6. Once cool drizzle with chocolate. Melt the white chocolate with 1 teaspoon of the shortening using the chocolate setting on your microwave, checking it every 20 seconds and stirring until smooth.
7. Add to a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a baggie with the corner cut off and drizzle over 1/2 the cookies. Repeat with the semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle over remaining cookies.