When it gets colder outside and the scent of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves fills the air, it’s the perfect time for Christmas baking. These gingerbread cookies are soft and wonderfully spiced on the outside, with an irresistibly creamy cheesecake center. They’re quick to make and look beautiful on any Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients for the Cheesecake Filling
- 150 g cream cheese, cold
- 30 g granulated sugar
Ingredients for the Spiced Sugar
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Ingredients for the Gingerbread Cookies
- 160 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g brown sugar
- 100 g maple syrup
- 2 egg yolks
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- A pinch of salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
Method
- Line a plate with parchment paper.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Spoon the mixture onto the prepared plate in about 20 portions of 1 teaspoon each. Place in the freezer until very firm.
- For the spiced sugar, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F), conventional heat.
- Beat the softened butter and brown sugar with a mixer until light and creamy.
- Add the egg yolks and maple syrup and continue mixing on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide the cookie dough into 20 equal portions and roll each one into a ball.
- Flatten each ball slightly, place one frozen cheesecake portion in the center, then carefully wrap the dough around the filling, sealing it completely. Roll back into a ball.
- Coat each dough ball in the prepared spiced sugar.
- Place 6 cookies at a time on a prepared baking tray, leaving plenty of space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C (350°F) for approximately 10–12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking tray, as they will still be very soft when warm.
We hope you enjoy baking!
