Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add 2 ounces of the cream cheese; beat until smooth and just combined, about 30 seconds.

Add brown sugar and 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat on medium speed just until combined, about 30 seconds.

Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture all at once; beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute.

Fold in fresh and freeze-dried strawberries until evenly distributed. Cover and chill dough until cold, about 30 minutes.

While dough chills, stir together remaining 6 ounces cream cheese and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl until fully combined; cover and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 to 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop, scoop half of the dough into 22 mounds, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (about 10 cookies per baking sheet). Using lightly greased hands, flatten dough into 2-inch disks. Spoon cream cheese and sugar mixture evenly into center of each dough disk (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each).

Shape 1 tablespoon of remaining dough into a 2-inch disk; place over cream cheese mixture on 1 dough disk, and press together edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and dough disks.

Gently flatten dough disks to 3/4-inch thickness, if needed, pressing together any cracks to seal. (This may be a slightly sticky experience, but will be well worth the effort!)

Bake, 1 pan at a time, in preheated oven until edges are set and lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan 180° halfway through baking. (It’s OK if some cream cheese mixture peeks out on top of cookies.) Let cookies cool on pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to wire racks, and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cookies are best enjoyed same day. Cookies can be refrigerated in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but cookies will just grow even more soft and cakey throughout.