Welcome to the first edition of cookies in the halls where we survey the student body to find Jackson-Reed’s favorite cookie. While it is nearly impossible to condense the best fall flavors into just three cookies, after meticulous digging and heavy research, we eventually decided pumpkin cheesecake, iced chai snickerdoodles, and apple pie cookies most closely embraced the spirit of fall!
We traveled all around the school to find subjects for our baking experiment, tallying the votes for each cookie. Everyone had different opinions: some liked the soft chewy texture of the pumpkin cheesecake and apple pie, while others preferred the snap that the chai cookies provided. After running into Principal Brown, we knew our experiment wouldn’t be complete without his opinion, which he concluded was the pumpkin cheesecake even after noting the chai icing was especially nice.
As we finished thoroughly roaming the halls of JR, we were able to survey 41 people to establish the cookie of the season. Pumpkin Cheesecake was easily the favorite with 18 votes. Apple Pie came in second with 14 votes and Chai in 3rd with 9. Below is the recipe for the fan-favorite pumpkin cheesecake cookies. Give it a try and see what the hype is all about!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies:
Ingredients:
½ cup melted butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookies:
Combine cooled melted butter with brown and granulated sugar in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on. Then add the pumpkin puree and vanilla, beating on low speed. Fold in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Cheesecake filling:
Beat the room temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Once combined add the vanilla and mix for 30 more seconds or until light and fluffy. Scoop into teaspoon sized balls, place on a lined baking sheet, and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Assembly:
Scoop cookies into 2 tablespoon sized balls, indent a hole in the middle of the dough, fill the center with the frozen cream cheese mixture, and then cover with dough so no cream cheese is visible. Make cinnamon sugar by combining equal parts sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll cookies in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
