So these cookies are like the German chocolate cake-flavored cousin to the cranberry bliss bar snowballs I made a while ago. I just fell in love with the idea of making a super soft cream cheese cookie dough, stuffing it with a gooey filling, and rolling the whole thing in coconut to the point where I was already thinking of what else I could do that to. And when I started thinking about what else has coconut in it, that was where the idea to make a German chocolate-flavored stuffed cream cheese cookie came about! Now, I already am known for making a German chocolate cake or two. So it just felt like a full-circle moment to do something with that flavor profile. I have these semi-traumatic flashbacks to my high school home ec class, where we worked in groups, and got to cook for the entire school. My group chose German chocolate cake, and it went semi-disastrously. The cupcakes burned on the bottom, and I guess people I went to school with actually hated coconut, so we wound up not getting a lot of votes. I just remember how bad my team worked together, since half of us hated the other half – a lot of this stemmed from one individual, who I won’t name, who insisted that she was the next Gordon Ramsay(yes, ironic, I know), yet despite her ego, thought that it was perfectly sanitary to leave cracked egg shells on the kitchen countertop. That and she was a major kiss-ass to the teacher, while also claiming that it’s “the recipe’s fault” if a dish does not come out well. To me, it was a load of BS, because as a cook, you adapt. If the recipe results in a burnt product, adjust the cooking time and temperature. Don’t continue following the recipe, knowing that it results in a subpar product, then blame that recipe. So you can see why there were tensions in that group, and why my first encounter with German chocolate cake resulted in a LOT of disdain.

Fortunately, I have since then made two German chocolate cakes, one for an ex-boss of mine, and one that was shown on season 10 of Masterchef, so I have grown quite fond of that chocolate-coconut-pecan-caramel situation. Also, another fun fact about German chocolate cake, despite the name, German chocolate cake is not German, but actually Southern. It was invented by a man in Texas who’s last name was German. So it should be called “German’s chocolate cake”, but the name somehow got misconstrued, and the next thing you know, the name wound up the way it was. But if you asked an actual German person about this cake, they would have 0 clue what you are talking about. Another key clue as to German chocolate cake not being German is that it contains coconut and pecans, two ingredients that are more commonly used in Southern baking, but not something you would find in a German torte. That all being said, while German chocolate cake is usually a cake, but we are turning that into a cookie. The cookie itself features a caramelized pecan cream cheese filling, made from whipping cream cheese with a homemade caramel, and folding pecans into that. It is then scooped and frozen solid. The cookie dough is made with cream cheese and butter, scented with cocoa powder, and then you enrobe the filling with that, rolling it in coconut flakes, which help prevent the soft cookie from sticking to another surface, and to give it that coconut flavor from the German chocolate cake. I also decoratively press a piece of chocolate and a pecan into the top of the cookie, just because it adds a cute finish, showcasing all of the flavors in a German chocolate cake upfront!

Makes 24 cookies:
For the filling:
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
4oz cream cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a pot, heat up sugar to 300 degrees F. Take off heat and add in the milk, allowing it to boil down. Once the milk is no longer boiling, stir everything on low heat until the sugar is fully melted into the milk. To that, whisk in the cream cheese until combined. Take the mixture off heat and stir in the other ingredients. Pour the mixture into silicone 1/2-inch half dome molds and freeze solid, 1-2 hours. Alternatively, refrigerate the mixture until it is fully solidified, about 4 hours, and scoop out 1 tsp-sized balls, freezing those solid, another 1-2 hours.

For the dough:
4oz cream cheese
2oz unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 cup + 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2oz dark chocolate chips
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg white together until it reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. Sift into that the other ingredients, and fold everything together to form your dough.

For assembly:
Shredded coconut
Coarsely chopped dark chocolate
Roasted pecans

Scoop the dough into 2oz balls and press into each ball the filling, gently rolling the dough around the filling until it completely encapsulates it. Roll each ball of dough in the shredded coconut and then press into the tops of the cookies some chocolate and pecan pieces. Place each ball of dough onto a lined sheet tray, spacing them 2 inches apart from one another. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking process to guarantee even baking.