Orange Cheesecake Cookie Cups

It's kind of neat sometimes how fate can lead you. Case in point: these cookies.

I fully intended to make them exactly as the recipe directed. But, after baking one test cookie and watching through the oven door as it flattened before my horrified eyes, I knew it just wasn't going to work. So, I spooned the batter into mini muffin cups instead and baked them up that way. Then, I'd have little cookie cups, soft and chewy as they should be.


While they were in the oven, however, I got to thinking. What if I were to hollow out the cookie cups and fill the space with some cream cheese frosting? Wouldn't that be delicious? Oh yes it would!


So, when they came out of the oven, I quickly pushed down a little dent in each one and set them in the fridge to chill before removing from the tins. Then, I whipped up a little frosting, filled the cups, and, as a finishing touch, drizzled them with some melted dark chocolate.


Oh my!!! These turned out far better than I ever imagined they could be when I first began to make them. I just figured I'd have some good tasting cookies, but transformed into cream cheese filled cookie cups? Well, all I can say is thank you fate!

Orange Cheesecake Cookie Cups (adapted from Evil Shenanigans and created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
3 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (I increased this to 1 Tbsp.)
1 c. all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies):

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar

melted semisweet chocolate, for drizzling

Heat oven to 375F and grease two mini muffin tins. Cream the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add the sugar, vanilla, and zest and blend until ingredients are well combined, but not fluffy. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with cookie dough. Bake for 10-15 min. until set or a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. While still warm, make a dent in the center of each cookie to form a little cup (you can use a small spoon or your finger). Chill in the fridge for 30-60 min. until completely cold. Remove from the muffin tins.

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe the frosting into the cookie cups (I used a ziploc bag with the tip cut off) or spoon it in. Drizzle with the melted chocolate. Put into the fridge until ready to serve.