Sugar-Coated Sundays: Inside-Out Cheesecake Cookies

I got invited to participate in a recipe contest.  I was really excited.  I planned on sharing the Hazelnut-Cocoa & Nougat Cookies I came up with, and then, I read the rules: any recipe entered into the contest must never have been posted on the internet and must never be posted on the internet anytime in the future.  Hmmm...I could never share my recipe submission with my readers?  That was a deal breaker for me.  I had the best idea I could think of.  It sounded so delicious and exquisite in my brain.  I'd never be able to refrain from sharing it on the blog.  So screw that contest!!  Here's my recipe submission idea.  :D

But these girls rock and their recipe contest is fun.  I'm playing with them instead.

I am entering this Inside-Out Cheesecake Cookie in the Creative Holiday Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups!

Inside-Out Cheesecake Cookies

Makes 36 cookie snadwiches

Ingredients:

Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups Butterscotch Kisses Cocoa Mix  {buy it here}

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Filling:

2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temp

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 - 5.3 ounce cups plain Greek yogurt

Directions:

Cookies

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter and sugar on medium speed.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla; beat until fully incorporated.  Mix in dry ingredients, in two additions, until just moistened.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  While oven heats, place cookie dough in the refrigerator.  Th dough will be tacky when it's finished, chilled the dough makes it easier to roll.  Keep the dough in the fridge in between baking to help keep it easy to roll.
4. Scoop out cookie dough by the tablespoon and roll into a ball.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges just being to brown.  Leave cookies on pan for one minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth on medium-high speed.
2. Add corn syrup, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Add Greek yogurt and beat until smooth.

Assembly

1. Pair up your cookies so they are about the same size as their partner.  Using an offset spatula (or regular spatula) place about 2 tablespoons of filling on the bottom of one cookie.  Spread the filling over the cookie, all the way to the edges.  Top with second cookie (bottom side touching the filling)  and squeeze a little to secure everything.  
2. Place finished sandwich cookies on a baking sheet.  Refrigerate cookies for at least 1 hour before serving so the filling can fully set.

I am the biggest cheesecake freak and these sandwich cookies rock!!  The cookies themselves are soft and chewy and the filling is creamy and rich.  Perfection!