White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake (Printable Version)

Soft peppermint dough with creamy cheesecake centers and white chocolate chips offers a festive winter delight.

# Ingredients:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 227 g unsalted butter, room temperature
02 - 2 large egg yolks
03 - 5 ml peppermint extract
04 - 5 ml vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

→ Sugars

05 - 165 g dark brown sugar, packed
06 - 50 g granulated white sugar plus extra for rolling

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 320 g all-purpose flour, sifted
08 - 5 g baking soda
09 - 5 g baking powder
10 - 3 g fine kosher or sea salt

→ Add-ins

11 - 100 g white chocolate chips
12 - 50 g crushed candy canes, freshly crushed

→ Cheesecake Filling

13 - 225 g cream cheese, full fat, softened
14 - 50 g granulated sugar
15 - 2.5 ml peppermint extract
16 - 2.5 ml vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

# Steps:

01 - Beat softened cream cheese with 50 g granulated sugar, 2.5 ml peppermint extract, and 2.5 ml vanilla extract at high speed until fluffy and sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Portion into sixteen 2 teaspoon amounts and freeze on parchment paper until firm.
02 - Whisk together sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
03 - Beat room temperature butter with dark brown sugar and 50 g granulated sugar at high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
04 - Add egg yolks, 5 ml peppermint extract, and 5 ml vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute until fully combined and creamy.
05 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix gently on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
06 - Using a spatula, fold crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips evenly into the dough.
07 - Divide dough into sixteen 2-tablespoon portions. Flatten each portion, place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center, then wrap dough securely around it and reshape into a ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
08 - Place six dough balls per parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 175°C for 12 to 15 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers puffed. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally garnish with extra crushed candy canes.

# Notes:

01 - Freeze cheesecake filling balls to prevent leakage during baking.
02 - Measure flour by spooning and leveling for the best texture.
03 - Allow cookies to cool fully so cheesecake centers set creamy, not runny.
04 - Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

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