The cookie version of gooey butter cake, this recipe helped me use up a block of cream cheese I had kicking around. Day 1 they weren’t actually very cream cheese-y, but I thought it was a more noticeable flavor from the second day on. This recipe made A Ton of cookies, but happily the baked cookies can be frozen and then thaw back to the perfect texture, so you can work your way through them at a reasonable rate.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder (why did I have a completely unopened box in the cabinet??)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until evenly mixed.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, and baking powder.

Beat the dry goods into the cream cheese mixture in several additions. Refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Once the dough has chilled, scoop level tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, then roll in the powdered sugar. Place sugared dough balls onto a lined sheet 1″ apart.

Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes.

Let cool briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. It took me long enough to roll the dough balls that it made sense to just put one pan in the oven at a time and work on the other. I ended up with about 3 1/2 pans’ worth.

Precariously balanced over the sink, so I’m not dumping powdered sugar on the counter!

Gooey Butter Cookies

From Taste of Home.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder (why did I have a completely unopened box in the cabinet??)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until evenly mixed. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk powder, and baking powder, then beat the dry goods into the cream cheese mixture in several additions. Refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Once the dough has chilled, scoop level tablespoons of dough, roll them into balls, then roll in the powdered sugar. Place sugared dough balls onto a lined sheet 1″ apart. Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool briefly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. It took me long enough to roll the dough balls that it made sense to just put one pan in the oven at a time and work on the other. I ended up with about 3 1/2 pans’ worth.