Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles

Delicious soft and puffy pumpkin snickerdoodles with a surprise cream cheese center.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Serves: 24

Ingredients:
Cookie:
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of allspice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Blend in pumpkin puree, beat in egg, and then add vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients on low speed until just combined. Cover and chill dough for an hour.
To make the cream cheese filling, blend cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together. Chill for an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and spices for the coating and set aside.
To make the cookies, put a tablespoon of the cookie batter onto the baking sheet. Flatten it like a pancake and place a teaspoon of the cream cheese in the center. Form another tablespoon of the cookie batter into a flat pancake shape and place it on top of the cream cheese. Pinch the edges together, sealing in the cream cheese and roll into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon sugar coating and place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Repeat until dough is gone and flatten the cookie balls with a heavy bottomed glass or measuring cup. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until the tops start to crack. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.

Found at: http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/pumpkin-cheesecake-snickerdoodles/