Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

These were so delicious and pretty easy to make. This recipe made a TON though.

Ingredients:

3-½ cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 packages Cream Cheese (8 Oz Packages) (I used low fat)
2-½ sticks Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Sugar
2 whole Large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (See Note Below)
3 cans (21 Oz. Can) Cherry Pie Filling, Drained (I used the less sugar type)

Preparation instructions:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.
Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls, then roll in crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries in each dimple. Bake until golden around the edges, about 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

(Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days.)

Note: to make graham cracker crumbs, process 8 whole graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.