Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Cookies

 

Tis the season for pumpkin. Every where I look I'm seeing tempting recipes and ideas for pumpkin. I can't wait to try them out. But for now, this is a DELICIOUS repeat from last year. It won't disappoint. I'm making these today.

However, just note that you'll need a few hours for the dough to freeze before you bake. I don't want you doing what I did last weekend and procrastinating and then realizing you don't have enough time!

 

Also, plan on sharing because these are best eaten the same day they're baked. 

Enjoy!

{PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SWIRL COOKIES} 

Click here for a printable version.

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. white sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. canned solid packed pumpkin

1 egg

Orange and Green food colors, optional

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 c. flour

1 T. pumpkin pie spice*

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. powdered sugar

 3 T. flour

Beat together softened butter, white sugar and packed brown sugar. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin, egg and a couple drops orange food color; stir in chocolate chips. Add 3 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder; stir until thoroughly mixed. Remove 2/3 cup cookie dough and set aside. Roll remaining cookie dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or parchment paper into a 12x15x1/4 inch rectangle. Freeze dough while preparing cream cheese filling.

Knead a couple drops green food color into reserved 2/3-cup cookie dough. Roll dough into approximately 36 small marble size balls, freeze until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour; beat until smooth and creamy. Remove cookie dough from freezer; peel off top parchment paper; spread prepared cream cheese over 2/3 the width of the rectangle (keep cream cheese on one side of dough and spread out to both ends). Using the parchment paper to carefully lift, roll cookie into a log, starting on the long cream cheese side (jelly roll fashion with cream cheese in center). Wrap log in parchment, return to freezer for 2-3 hours, preferable overnight (or until stiff).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove cookie dough from freezer, remove parchment wrap, cut into 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick slices; place on prepared baking sheet. Place a green marble size piece of dough at the top of each cookie and slightly flatten to form a stem. Bake about 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on rack. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

*NOTE: Pumpkin Pie spice may be replaced with mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.