5oz / 140g (about 8) strawberries, washed, drained, and diced small
6.6oz / 188g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100g) sugar
1 medium egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the cheesecake filling
¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (180g / 46.3 oz) powdered sugar
4oz / 113g full-fat cream cheese
Instructions
Make the cookies
Spread the diced strawberries on a try lined with parchment paper and then put them in the freezer while continuing with the recipe. (If using frozen strawberries, do not thaw them.)
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes until everything is well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix again thoroughly, for about 1-2 minutes more.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Don't overmix it or it will make the cookies tough.
Take the diced strawberries out of the freezer and place them in a small bowl. Toss the strawberries with the cornstarch and coat them well.
Gently fold the strawberries into the cookie dough.
Put the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350℉ / 180℃ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take the cookie dough out of the freezer. Divide it into 12 balls. If you have a digital scale, each dough ball should weigh about 2 oz/55g each.
Roll each ball between your hands to shape into balls.
Place 6 balls on a prepared tray, spacing them about 3 inches (8cm) apart. (I bake them one tray at a time.)
Keep the remaining dough in the fridge while the first batch of cookies are baking.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until they're lightly golden on the edges.
When done, remove the cookies from the oven and leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Then bake the remaining cookies. Let them cool completely before making the filling.
Make the cheesecake filling & assemble the cookies
Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until it's smooth and well combined.
Add the cream cheese and beat until it's creamy and fully incorporated. If your cream cheese is hard, beat it first to soften it a bit before adding it to the butter mixture. Don't beat it too much, though, or it could get runny.
Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip. (I use Wilton 1M.)
Pipe a swirl of filling on the bottom of a cookie and then place another cookie on top. Alternatively, spread the filling on top using the back of a spoon. Repeat with the remaining cookies.