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1. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, and beat until well mixed.
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2. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (or parchment paper) and drop the filling onto it in 1/2 teaspoon-sized balls. Place the tray into the freezer for at least an hour and a half.
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3. Once the filling is frozen, line another cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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4. Mix the flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Set aside.
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5. In a separate, large mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter (see note below), granulated sugar and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy. Make sure there are no lumps in your brown sugar!
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6. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until well combined.
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7. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until it forms a wet dough. (see note)
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8. Take the filling dots out of the freezer (see note) and mix together the remaining granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small plate (for the coating).
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9. Drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet in 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Break each ball in half and place a cheesecake dot in the center, and then roll the cookie dough around it (see note). Roll the whole ball in the sugar mixture and place on the cookie sheet, just flattening slightly. You want the cookies taller than they are wide, so they are big and soft! Leave about 2 inches between each cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are done. Place the tray of cookies into the freezer for 2 hours.
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10. Once the cookies have been frozen, preheat your oven to 350 F. Then place the tray of cookies into the oven.
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11. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the outsides feel just set. The cookies will feel very soft and under baked, but they firm up a lot once cooled!
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12. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
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13. Devour!
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Notes:
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1. We also really liked these with browned butter, as they have a nuttier taste this way. To brown butter just melt it in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently until it turns a light golden brown. It goes from brown to burnt fast, so watch it closely!
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2. If you use the butter immediately after melting it, and it is hot, your dough may be a little too sticky to form into balls right away. If this happens, just stick the bowl of dough into the fridge for 20 minutes before stuffing with the cheesecake centers!
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3. I recommend taking only half of the cheesecake dots out of the freezer at a time, so they don't melt while you are rolling the cookies!
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4. You will have a couple leftover cheesecake dots. Aw shucks!
