Cheesecake Filling

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients. You can use an electric mixer or mash and mix together with a fork.
2. Line a plate with parchment paper and scoop out 16 servings (about 1 tbsp each). Chill in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cookies

1. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and lay a paper towel sheet inside the strainer.
2. Scoop the pumpkin onto the paper towel and allow it to sit and draw out some moisture while we prepare the dough.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
5. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the egg yolk and vanilla. Once smooth, scrape down the bowl and mix in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
6. Back to the pumpkin – you should notice that the paper towel has absorbed quite a bit of moisture. Transfer the pumpkin to a clean paper towel and gently wring it out over the mesh strainer. When the paper towel becomes too weak, replace with another clean paper towel and wring the pumpkin out again. Continue this until you’ve wrung out the pumpkin 3 times. (If you have a cheese cloth, that can be used in place of the paper towels).
7. Measure the pumpkin by packing it into a 1/3 measuring cup. It should just fit with a tiny bit overflowing. If it’s still over, continue wringing out the pumpkin until you reach this measurement.
8. Now add the pumpkin to the dough and mix until smooth.
9. Last, mix in the flour. Once it’s mostly combined, remove the dough from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to mix by hand, ensuring it’s evenly combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
10. Prepare the cinnamon sugar in a small dish.
11. Using a large cookie scoop (3-tablespoons worth), scoop the dough into your hand and flatten. Press a chilled piece of cream cheese in the center (it will be soft but easy to handle). Conceal the cream cheese with the dough. It will be sticky and messy, but not impossible.
12. Roll the cookie in the cinnamon sugar and place on the baking sheet. Flatten the top very slightly with your palm.
13. Once you’ve placed 5 or 6 cookies on the pan well spaced apart, bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the center appears pale, puffed, and slightly underdone.
14. Allow the cookies to rest for about a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack and continue with the rest of the batch.
15. Once the cookies have cooled, they’re ready to enjoy!