Coconut Cheesecake Thumbprints

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 45 min (plus cooling)
  • Active: 35 min
  • Yield: 28 to 30 coconut cheesecake thumbprints
This creamy thumbprint cookie is for all the cheesecake lovers out there! Cream cheese does double duty in this recipe: it's used in the cheesecake filling as well as in the cookie dough, contributing to a soft and tender texture. And the toasted coconut and touch of lime gives these cookies a refreshing tropical twist.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

For the Filling:

Directions

  1. Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and lime zest in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and both extracts and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just combined. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, confectioners’ sugar and both extracts in a medium bowl until smooth (the mixture will be stiff but will loosen as you whisk).
  3. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the shredded coconut in a small bowl, breaking up any large clumps. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Roll each into a ball and dip the top half in the coconut to generously coat. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. Fill with the cream cheese filling.
  4. Bake, rotating and switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden on the bottom and some coconut has browned on top, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the pans, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.