THESE COOKIES ARE INSANE! If you can imagine, they were actually inspired by Taco Bell’s Cinnabon Delights. When I was brainstorming for my bake sale, Derek suggested a cookie “like those Taco Bell cinnamon things with the cream cheese goo.” Sounds appetizing doesn’t it? Well, a stuffed cookie is a great idea, but I wanted something a little simpler for my bake sale, so I went with churro cookies. They’re actually still my favorite cookie that I’ve ever made.
Anyway, back to the french toast cookies. I had some cream cheese leftover from when I was experimenting for my healthy gooey butter cake recipe, and cream cheese frosting is ALWAYS a good idea. What goes well with cream cheese frosting? Cinnamon rolls is the obvious choice, but I just made cinnamon sugar cookies, so what else? FRENCH TOAST! These maple cinnamon sugar cookies are stuffed with a maple cream cheese filling, and they taste surprisingly like french toast!
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think adding bacon to the cream cheese filling would be a dream. Does that sound too crazy? Just some food for thought.
Stuffed French Toast Cookies
Equipment
- Stand or hand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Large cookie scoop
Ingredients
For the cream cheese filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
For the cookies:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2/3 cup + 1/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
Instructions
Make the cream cheese filling:
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until well combined.
- Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Freeze for at least 1 and 1/2 hours and up to 2-3 days.
Make the cookie dough:
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a whisk, beat the butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, the egg, and vanilla extract, and maple extract and beat until combined.
- Using a spatula, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 and 1/2 hours and up to 2-3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Assemble the cookies:
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and cream cheese scoops from the freezer. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3-4 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Scoop dough using a large cookie scoop. Using your fingers, make an indent into the cookie dough ball. Place one cream cheese ball inside the hole, and cover with more cookie dough to fill the scoop, making sure the cream cheese is completely sealed inside. Repeat with remaining cookie dough and cream cheese.
- Roll each stuffed cookie dough ball in remaining granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until the edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
