Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

There's something about cheesecake, in pretty much every form that makes everything better. It's really a cure-all I think.
Bad day? Cheesecake.
Cold? Cheesecake.
Fabulous day with no real reason? Cheesecake.
I'm just sayin...
But let's be real, I don't usually have like five packages of cream cheese on hand, do you? And I love to have my baking ingredients on hand. The less trips to the store, the better.
This is where the cookies come in...
Three ounces of cream cheese and you've got a delicious cheesecake subsititute right in your hands.
So. Good.
Ever since I made the last cheesecake cookies, I've had constant requests for more. And now, I think these are going on that list.
Make sure you don't overbake these cookies, you want the middles to stay really soft, almost underbaked to have the cheesecake texture. Making them a little bigger helps with that. And I loved the mini chocolate chip addition, it really added that extra something.
Enjoy!

Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons lemon zest (I just used the zest and juice of one lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (I omitted the pecans)
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add in the lemon zest and juice if you are using. Mix in vanilla. Stir in the flour until well combined and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes so that it is easier to handle.

Mix together the pecans, graham cracker crumbs, and cinnamon to make the crust. Pour half of the crust mixture onto a large sheet of wax or parchment paper. Form a log with half of the cookie dough and roll it in the crust mixture. Place log of dough on a new sheet of parchment paper and wrap the ends up. Repeat with the remaining dough and place both dough logs in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Slice dough into half inch thick rounds and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. The bottoms should be only lightly browned. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Source:Buns in My Oven