Day 4 - Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

I'm so excited to introduce you to Mel!!  I'm so excited that she agreed to share a recipe for my 25 Days of Recipes!!  Can you tell I'm excited (Maybe I should come up w/ a new adjective)?  I'm sure ya'll have noticed I've used a lot of recipes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, right?  Well, this is the Mel, from that cooking site!!  She's probably my favorite cooking blogger that I follow, if you haven't noticed ;)  Thanks so much Mel for agreeing to guest blog for us!

Take it Away Mel:

My name is Mel and I'm happy to be participating in Britt's 25 days of recipes. What fun! By day, I'm a mom to four little boys (pregnant with #5) and by night, since I do 99% of my blogging "stuff" after the kiddos go to bed, I blog over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Today I'm sharing a recipe that is one of my favorite holiday cookies. They are beautiful, unique and downright delicious. A tender, sweet cheesecake dough is coated in graham crackers and topped with classic sweet and tart cherry pie filling. These cookies are seriously like a bite of divine cheesecake heaven and they are perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges, neighbor gifts or just indulging by yourself when no one is looking. Enjoy!

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

*Makes about 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cans (20-ounce) cherry pie filling

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll the balls in graham cracker crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for five minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thanks Mel!!  Enjoy!