Gooey Cream Cheese Cookies

• servings: Makes about 24 smallish

Ingredients

432 g yellow cake mix

70g flour

2 large eggs

226g unsalted butter, melted

1 cup Gooey Cream Cheese

Gooey Cream Cheese

226g softened cream cheese

90g confectioners sugar

1 large egg yolk

2g vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 500°F and pan-spray or line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cake mix and flour and mix together on low speed for 1 minute to break up clumps.

3. Add the eggs and melted butter, increase the speed to medium- high, and beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Freeze the dough for 10 minutes to firm up.

5. Using a ¾-ounce cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons), scoop the dough onto a clean countertop. Use your thumb to create a well, nearly all the way to the bottom, in the center of each cookie. Fill the well with 2 teaspoons of gooey cream cheese filling. Your filled cookie dough rounds should be no wider than 2½ inches

across.

6. Arrange the cookies on the pans in rows of 3 cookies, columns of 4 cookies, making 12 cookies per pan.

7. Bake at 500°F for 4 to 6 minutes, watching closely, rotating the pans front to back or swapping racks halfway through, until the cookies melt and spread and begin to develop color on the edges. The intensity of a 500°F oven can vary widely, so keep a close eye to judge when the cookies look done. You want a light golden cookie, more blond than brown. They will continue to bake a bit as they cool down on the ripping-hot baking sheets!

8. Let the cookies cool completely on the pans until the filling sets fully, about 20 minutes, then transfer to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 3 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Freeze for 10 minutes