Ingredients:
For the Spice Cookies:
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 cup pork panko (crushed pork rinds)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
0.8 grams TruLemon crystallized lemon powder (or 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Monk fruit or stevia, to taste
For the Cheesecake Filling:
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated monk fruit or stevia (or adjust to taste)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sour cream
0.8 grams TruLemon crystallized lemon powder (or 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice)
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Prepare Spice Cookie Dough:
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Add the TruLemon crystallized lemon powder (or lemon juice).
Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in pork panko, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger if using), salt, baking powder, and Parmesan cheese (if using). If adding baking soda, mix it in at this stage. Add monk fruit or stevia to taste, aiming for 1/4 cup total.
The dough will be soft and thick.
Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Prepare Cheesecake Filling:
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sweetener, egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, TruLemon crystallized lemon powder (or lemon juice), and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Form and Bake Cookies:
Roll Dough: After chilling, use a tablespoon (1-1.5 tablespoons) to portion out the dough and roll it into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
First Bake: Bake the cookies for 5-10 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to set but the centers are still soft.
Indentation: Remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon to make a small indentation in the center of each cookie.
5. Finish Baking:
Second Bake: Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden around the edges and the centers are mostly set.
6. Add Cheesecake Filling:
After the second bake, remove the cookies from the oven and spoon a small amount of the cheesecake filling into each indentation.
7. Final Bake:
Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheesecake filling begins to brown slightly.
8. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.