forget the cake...

So it's a chocolate cream cheese cookie with chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting on top... are you with me? Yes these are everything you'd want from a chocolate cheesecake, but in a handheld cookie form.

The picture above should really be captioned #lazy (p.s. this video explains my love of the hashtag). Basically, I just plopped the frosting in a ziploc, snipped a corner and bunched the cookies close together so that I could frost all of them at the same time. I mean, they all tasted great so that's really what counts here, right?

These cookies are rich and thick, so keep a drink nearby. The cheesecake topping adds a nice creaminess to the cookie, and it also makes them easier to decorate (as seen in the first photo) with sprinkles, or you could tint the frosting different colors. So many holiday options here!

Double Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies

Recipe slightly adapted from here

Makes almost 2 dozen

Recipe Notes-

- Originally mascarpone cheese was called for in the glaze, but I used cream cheese because that’s what I had on-hand, and also what I thought made sense with the whole “cheesecake” aspect of these cookies.

- Milk chocolate chips were also called for, but they didn’t impart much flavor and were lost in the cookies. Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips are a better complement to the tanginess of the cream cheese.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 Cup all-purpose flour
½ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup loosely packed brown sugar
¼ Cup granulated sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 Large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cream cheese glaze:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbs. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and beat until combined (it's okay if small clumps form), then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.

2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients just until combined. Use a spatula to stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 10 to 15 minutes, just until it’s slightly less sticky and easier to roll into balls.

3. While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350° F. Once oven is done preheating and cookies are properly chilled, roll into golf-ball sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Let cool completely before covering in the glaze.

For the cream cheese glaze:
4. Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the glaze on the cookies, or use a pastry or ziptop bag to pipe it across.