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A misunderstanding led to one of my greatest creations ever. During my Delish days, I had heard about people using cream cheese instead of butter for a pillowier cookie. Turns out, they meant subbing a tiny portion of the butter; not a 1:1 swap. I went 1:1—and I’ve never looked back. We called the end result “cookie clouds,” because they were so pudgy and soft. The cream cheese kept the treats from spreading, keeping them thick and gooey, plus it adds a certain tanginess.
I still love that original recipe, though over the years, I’ve done some additional tinkering to adjust it to my OTT-chocolate-and-goo-loving tastes. Here’s the modified version, which has a little more cheesecake tang, as well as a better balance of vanilla and salt. I call these “pudgy cookies,” or cheesecake chocolate chip cookies; my friends call ’em “gone in 60 seconds,” since that’s how fast a plate disappears.
Pudgy Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate or chopped dark
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, mixing on medium until combined.
- Add flour, baking soda and salt, mixing on medium until a stretchy dough forms, about 30 seconds. Fold in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
- Place roughly 1 1/2-inch blobs of dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are puffy and very lightly golden on the edges. (The treats won't brown like traditional cookies; instead, they're a little springy to the touch, like a cake would be, even though they aren't at all cakey in texture.)
