Strawberry cheesecake cookies recipe

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the soft cheese in a mixing bowl, sift over the icing sugar and beat with a spatula until well combined. Use a teaspoon to put 12 mounds of the mixture on the prepared baking tray. Freeze for at least 2 hrs or overnight.
2. Lay the strawberries out on kitchen paper to absorb the excess juice. To make the cookie dough, put the butter and both sugars into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg until smooth, then sift over the flour and bicarb. Sprinkle over a pinch of salt and mix with a spatula, until well combined. Toss the strawberries with the remaining 1 tbsp flour and gently fold them through the dough, being careful not to break them up too much. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes; this is optional but will make the dough less sticky and easier to work with.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and drop 12 tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheets (6 on each), spaced apart. This should be roughly half your mixture. Press your thumb into the centre of each cookie to make a well and place a frozen ball of the cheesecake filling into each well.
4. Scoop the remaining cookie dough on top of each cheesecake filling and working quickly, carefully use your hands to mould the dough around the filling, making sure that it is completely encased. Your cookies should be ball-shaped.
5. Bake for 15-20 mins until the edges are set and crisp. Leave to cool on the tray for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tip: the cheesecake filling mixture can be frozen for up to 2 weeks before using.

Tip: Use very fresh strawberries that are not too juicy to prevent the dough from becoming too sticky.

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