“It’s been waiting for you”
A big platter of freshly baked cookies, that is.
“It’s a new soundtrack
I could dance to this beat, beat
Forevermore”
Today we are covering the opening song from 1989, Taylor Swift’s new album. You know, the one that sold two million copies already. (If you’re curious about the 1989 project we’ve been doing this month, see our announcement here!) Seriously, this opening track is so incredibly catchy; every time I hear it I want to jump out of my chair and dance and sing along to. Also great for baking parties, you know, when you’re waiting on the oven and need to pass time. Dance break!
“Like any great love, it keeps you guessing
Like any real love, it’s ever-changing
Like any true love, it drives you crazy
But you know you wouldn’t change anything, anything, anything”
Because these Cheesecake-topped Dark Chocolate Cookies have been tested to perfection. I had a vision of what I wanted these cookies to be like: dark, soft, and topped with a golden brown cheesecake crust (à la Bluechip’s “marbelous” cookie) to incorporate the New York theme. Taylor’s love for cookies is well documented so I wanted a create a cookie that personifies her. There are so many cookie recipes out there so a mediocre one is not worth the attention of anyone, especially a world star. These cookies are bold, glamorous, and one-of-a-kind.
“The lights are so bright
But they never blind me”
The development of this recipe was a rough one, but I didn’t let kitchen failures discourage me. The first batch spread like a mudslide, resulting in a wide airy cookie with a sad little dot of cream cheese in the centre. The next batch was totally opposite, didn’t spread at all and had the texture of a dry brownie. The third try was the charm (phew!) and with a few adjustments, out came a batch of cookies that were soft-centred, dotted with creamy patches of cream cheese, and slightly expanded from the cooking process.
The cheesecake batter was turned into “cheesecake chips” to function like chopped chocolate in this cookie. After creaming together the softened cream cheese with some sweetener, vanilla, and salt, I spread it out on a saran wrap-lined baking tray to about 1/8 inch or 3mm thick. It should be thick enough to be opaque. Froze the tray until solid and then snapped it into smaller pieces to fold into the dough and puzzle piece on top before baking.
“Everybody here wanted something more”
I’m sure a platter of these cookies will be warmly welcomed no matter what city you’re in. Nutella is everyone’s friend, then add a slab of cheesecake on top and it’s bound to vanish in front of your eyes. An ideal treat for parties or Christmas cookie exchanges!
- CHEESECAKE "CHIPS"
- 2 oz (1/4 block) light or original cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp honey
- ⅛ tsp pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of pink Himalayan salt
- COOKIES
- ½ cup Nutella
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder
- ⅔ cup oats, ground into flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- DO AHEAD: Cream together all the ingredients for the cheesecake "chips" until smooth. Spread onto a plastic wrapped baking tray, about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick. Freeze until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350⁰F and line a cookie sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Nutella, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the cocoa powder, salt, and espresso and mix until completely incorporated.
- Mix in the oat flour, baking soda, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Take the frozen cheesecake out of the freezer and snap into rough thumbnail-sized chunks. Fold in ½ cup of the cheesecake "chips" into the cookie dough.
- Using a cookie scoop (about 2 tbsp), place dollops of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. With slightly moistened fingers, press each mound of dough down into a flat ½ inch thick disk. Cover tops of each mound with cheesecake chips.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and broil for an additional 2 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring cookies off cookie sheet.
Other 1989 recipes we have so far…
Hi! 🙂 I love your recipes! Was just wondering what you used to edit your images – the graphics part of it? <3 Good job by the way, and I'm trying the Mint ice-cream recipe today! It's just super simple, and I have all the ingredients at home! Will tell you how I like it!
Thanks so much, Lyessa! We use PicMonkey or Canva for our title photos. Hope you enjoy the Mint Ice Cream!