1-Preparing the cheesecake filling: Start by preparing the cheesecake filling, which involves whipping the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until it’s fluffy, then portioning it into 16 balls and freezing them until firm. This keeps the filling intact during baking and prevents any leakage.

2-Handling the pumpkin puree: Next, handle the pumpkin puree by drying it; press the 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin with paper towels to remove excess liquid until you have just under 1/4 cup. This step is crucial to avoid a cakey texture and ensure your cookies stay chewy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

3-Creaming and mixing the dough: Now, cream 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup light brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in 2 egg yolks and 2 tsp vanilla extract until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Add the dried pumpkin puree and blend it in, followed by the dry ingredients on low speed to form the dough. Divide the dough into 16 portions, flatten each one slightly, place a frozen cheesecake ball in the center, and wrap it fully before rolling into balls.

4-Rolling, baking, and cooling: Roll these dough balls in the spiced sugar mixture (1/4 cup granulated white sugar and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice) for an extra flavor boost. Bake them on parchment-lined sheets at 350°F (175°C) for 12-13 minutes in batches of six. After baking, let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely, which allows the cheesecake filling to firm up.