Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
So, there seems to be this myth floating around that whenever you’re pregnant, everyone trips over themselves to spoil you.
Let me assure you…this is not the case.
Around other women, I probably get spoiled the most. They tell me lies about how I’m not huge at all, and how cute I am (lies, but I appreciate it), and are super patient with my eleventy zillion bathroom breaks and mood swings.
Men, however, are a different story.
My son mostly expects the same as usual. Sit outside for fifty hours in scorching heat so I can watch him cannonball in the pool. Make numerous meals of food. Sit through Madagascar 3 even though the theater seats kill my back. I accept it because he is a child and his brain is still pretty small, plus, I’m pretty sure he thinks babies appear by magic, so in his line of thinking, this makes me a wizard of sorts.
My husband is usually pretty good, and if he’s not, I moan and grab my belly as I huff and puff a load of laundry across the living room.
It works.
Other men are a totally different story.
Two weeks ago, I headed to Seattle on an airplane. Because I live in a tiny town, flying clear across the country requires multiple connecting flights, which is not exactly a dream for a pregnant lady carrying a heavy bag and constantly locating new bathrooms. And on top of it all, men at airports are jerks.
JERKS.
I was cut in front of in line to get on the plane (hello, the plane isn’t going to land any sooner if you sit down before me), cut in line at an airport Wendy’s (trust me, nothing on that menu is even worth it), not let out as I was waiting to get OFF the plane, and no one rose to give me a seat on the train thingy that takes you to your gate.
But that is not even the worst of it.
OOOOOOOH no.
The worst was when I finally ARRIVED in Seattle, and the girls and I decided to head to Beecher’s Cheese for lunch.
There is limited seating — basically it’s a long bar with stools that are first come first serve. After getting our cups of hot macaroni and cheese, the girls and I headed to a portion of the bar where we could stand and eat, as no seats were available.
Right as I slid my cup onto the bar so I could take a sip of my drink, a man to my left who was sitting on a stool (who, I might point out, was only eating a cheese sample and NOT a whole meal of food) got up to go get a cheese sample. And the man next to him immediately looked at me with the stink eye and said “HE’LL BE RIGHT BACK”.
HE’LL. BE. RIGHT. BACK.
Seriously. That is what this man had to say to an OBVIOUSLY pregnant women trying to eat from a cup of bubbling hot mac and cheese while standing up.
My friend Darla motioned me to a recently emptied stool and loudly said, “Here Kristan…take this seat since you’re EXPECTING” and gave him an equally stinky eye look.
Yet another example of a sympathetic woman.
By the time I flew all the way back to Arkansas, I was beside myself. I had been jostled, cut in front of, denied seats, and all around treated like some normal man-person who was not growing a life. Honestly, the more things went on, I became furious at my husband, imagining scenarios where he had possibly come across a pregnant lady and failed to hold a door open or extend common courtesy. I was like, “OMG he is so embarrassing, I cannot believe he acts like this when I’m not around”.
So then I got home and got him in trouble, and it’s all Cheese Man’s fault.
Jerky Jerk Cheese Man.
Anyways. If you have dreams of getting pregnant and life being a floaty pink cloud of magically opening doors and cushy seats everywhere you go, think again. Because apparently there are lots of people in the world who gave birth to themselves, and therefor don’t appreciate those of us who grow human beings.
FROM SCRATCH!!!
In other news, I came across these cookies forever ago in a Christmas Cookie issue of America’s Test Kitchen. I love the idea, because I love cheesecake but my husband doesn’t, so I never make one. This is an easy way for me to get my cheesecake fill, without having to use 28 blocks of cream cheese.
Sometimes a girl just needs a cookie that is really cheesecake in disguise, you know what I mean?Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
From America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010
INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 sticks butter (20 tablespoons), softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 whole graham cracker rectangles, crushed into crumbs
- 3 (20 oz) cans cherry pie filling, drained of juice
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add flour mixture. Divide dough in half, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, then coat completely in graham cracker crumbs. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Using a rounded spoon, create an indentation in the center of each cookie and place 3 cherries in the center.
5. Bake until cookies are cracked and set, about 13 minutes.
6. Cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTES:
Makes about four dozen.
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
Ok that… is just ridiculous. When I was pregnant I never expected special treatment, per say… but good grief, it’s just common courtesy to let pregnant women/the elderly/injured people/etc SIT when there’s no seats to be had. What is wrong with people! I’m not surprised, but definitely saddened. That is one thing my kids are going to have burned into their brains- courtesy and kindness.
The cookies look yummy :)
I think airports/airplanes make everyone around me temporarily forget everything their mommas taught them! They’re the worst. I’m sorry you had such a hard time. The cookies look awesome though :)
I thought it was, like required to give up your seat to someone older or someone pregnant, so wrong! I do like the idea of these cookies though. I love cheesecake and these cookies seem like they would be great!
I can’t wait to try these yummy looking cookies out! They look fantastic.
And as far as Mr. Jerky Jerk Cheeseman goes…….I hope all those cheese samples have him bound up for a week! He has at least that coming to him lol.
There are still some gentlemen out there and I also plan on raising my son with better manners and consideration for others.
Sorry for your bad experience. I live about an hour away from NYC & while it always gets a bad rap, that is where I saw people give up thei seats to a pregnant woman on the subway. It sounds like people are less courteous in smaller cities based on your experience.
I love hearing your pregnancy adventures. People are so awful sometimes. I meant to tell you that Unisom totally helped me sleep at night. I don’t know if you are still having trouble. My last pregnancy I had such a hard time sleeping and my OB said it’s mild and completely safe. You should try it…and that’s coming from me who doesn’t ever even take a tylenol for a headache.
A cheesecake AND a cookie?! Where have you been all my life?!
P.S. Wow that guy sounds like a real jerk! Unfortunately there are a lot of them around ….
Mr. Jerky Jerk Cheese Man should become lactose-intolerant. That’ll teach ya buddy! If I ever saw (or found out about) hubby not giving up his seat for a pregnant woman, I would make these cheesecake cookies and not even share! Not to mention give him a good, swift kick in the wazoo!
I didn’t know whether to cry (jerky men!) or laugh (you have a way with words!) at today’s post. I’ll settle for sighing over that dreamy, creamy recipe you shared.
Keep writing…
Oh my, these look delish!
Cheesecake in disguise? Yes, I totally know what you mean. Totally yum.
Sorry I wasn’t there to handle mean cheese man for ya, because I would’ve ya know? I can be a real bully sometimes. Roundhouse kicks and all. ;)
What cute little cookies!
Yeah, that Cheese Man was the worst. You can’t hold a whole stool hostage because you want to to sit while you eat a SAMPLE!
They should make a sign, “Samplers cannot sit”
I can’t make cheesecake at my house either. My husband likes it alright…but he has self control to stop himself after one piece, therefore leaving the remaining 9/10 of the cake for me.
I need to try these cookies!
Thatis truly disappointing. I’m guessing thise guys have never had kids!!! Men can be pigs i was lucky enough to be able to milk my pregnancy for seats, especially at the pool. Sort of miss that. Great recipe!
seriously, people are so rude. Good thing your husband isn’t one of them :)
I’m loving the cookies – I can’t believe your hubby doesn’t like cheesecake!
Just thinking of that jerky-jerk face man gets my blood boiling. Seriously, chivalry is dead!
And – no lies here – you have to be the most beautiful, glowy pregnant lady I’ve ever seen! I remember thinking that yesterday when I saw your update photo. I would probably look like Jessica Simpson month 9 the entire time.
xoxo
What a jerk! People are really awful sometimes. Love this part “hello, the plane isn’t going to land any sooner if you sit down before me.” So true!! Everyone’s always in such a hurry, ugh.
Loved your post. I think you need to head to France. We went to Paris for our babymoon 6 years ago and OMG. I was treated like a queen. Men gave up their seats, held doors, pulled out chairs for me! It was insane. We would wait in line to get into a museum, or equally boring but air conditioned place, and the attendants would spot the belly and wave me right to the front. And NOBODY had an issue with this. Other people were wilting in the 100 degree heat, but me and my belly were like royalty. True story. You should totally go.
That is EXACTLY the way it should be. Kristan — you moved, while pregnant, in the summer, in Arkansas. That alone gives you enough brownie points for special treatment to last a lifetime.
I love these! I need these!
boooooooooo! for 2 jerky-jerk cheese guys who wouldn’t allow ladies to sit (preggers, or not.)
Yeaaaaaaaaaa! for cheese-cake anythings — especially these cookies!
I love cheesecake in any form and these looks so pretty! Just like you, NOT A LIE!
That is just insane! People are just down right inconsiderate across the board!! Last night we were driving into a very busy parking lot, and man was standing in the middle of the only empty space, looking away from incoming cars taking pictures. My husband pulls into the spot, hoping the guy will notice and take 2 steps forward, out of the space so we can pull in. He just stands there, finally hubby honks super lightly and the guy freaks out. He was pissed that my husband had the nerve to ask him to move!!
Okay, I feel your pregnancy pain. When I was 36 weeks pregnant with my second child, I arrived early (but not early enought) at the Easter Sunday mass and had to stand the ENTIRE time and no one offered me their seat. Did I mention it was in the South (i.e. heat and humidity)? I tried to look sympathetic, pitiful, and then give the stink eye, but no one budged. Oh well, at least you had Beecher’s mac and cheese – yum!
Jerks suck. Sorry you had to experience the dregs of society. I remember walking out of a store when I was ready to pop and having some jerk in a sports car almost run me down as I waled across the crosswalk. Oh well, don’t let them get you down!
I know it doesn’t help you but it might restore some of your faith in huMANity – I was on a train that ran 3 hrs late and was an overnight train recently with a poor mom packing a toddler and a pre-schooler plus car seat and baby carrier. Even when baby boy (who was so well behaved for so long) finally had enough and started to cry, I was glad to see that everyone was polite and nice to her. It was good there were no snotty jerks. Otherwise I might’a had to bust some heads. It’s good they behaved, I think I might be too pretty for jail…
Seriously think I might know that man!
I’ll go hunt him down for YOU!
Reminds me of the last time I flew.
I was in the Delta Skymiles VIP line! I thought I was special and had RIGHTS!
This man/jerk behind me kept staring at my boarding pass.
I mumbled “I’m almost positive I have enough miles to be in the VIP line.”
The line began to move.
He passed me like a JERK and said “Not even CLOSE!!!!”
I stood there in SHOCK at the RUDENESS!
He was headed to Seattle so I’m certain it was the same CHEESY~jerk at Beechers!
Like I said.
I’ll HUNT him down!!!
It won’t be pretty!
xo
sorry you came upon so many jerks on your trip. i must tell you living in nyc area, where people think new yorkers are rude, that is generally not the case. my oldest son (28) gets told all the time what wonderful manners he has when he holds doors and gives up his seat on the train.
i made these cookies this year for my annual cookie exchange and they were a hit. so good and so so hard to make. they are so good.
make that NOT hard to make. They were easy and so so good. Everyone loved them.
I have a story like that! I was in New York with my family in the middle of the summer, 8 months pregnant, and outside most of the day. We finally got to go inside on our tour and we went into this big room with 4 chairs. 3 of them were occupied by old people, and that’s fine, if you’re old, you trump pregnancy, a little bit. And the 4th was this teenage kid and his parents were standing right behind him. It took all I had not to go over there and make him move so I could sit. I kept telling myself not to judge because maybe he had this horrible disease that prevented him from standing very long. That was probably not the case, but I told myself that anyway.
Those men were jerks!! I can’t believe that, but it is true that you get the most sympathy from women, they understand the suckiness that is pregnancy.
I make these cookies all the time and they are SO good!! I’ve even made them without the cherries and rolled in crushed Oreos instead of graham crackers! Yum!
And this is why men don’t have babies – they couldn’t handle it!
I am glad to say that I raised my teenage son better than that. People are always complementing his manners because he holds doors and gives up his seat. He even helped an elderly lady with her groceries a few weeks ago because there wasn’t anyone employed by the store that was “available” to do it! All without prompting from me! Makes me proud I raised him so well, but sad that there aren’t more like him.
I had mixed experiences…. Train to London, packed, not a single person offered me there seat! I was 7+ months! However on the buses in my town everyone offered me seats. I politely refused towards the end because sitting down at 8-9 months was more uncomfortable having a baby shoved into my ribs!
Love your posts! These cookies look delicious! xx
What a fabulous idea!! Yum!
Making these immediately! You should make a chocolate ex-lax version for jerky cheese man!
I think it’s a northern-thing. I had my first child in Texas (everybody was as nice as could be), then I moved up to Colorado, and it was *different* when I had my next two.
I just googled “Beecher’s Mac and Cheese recipe” and up it came — it’s on Martha Stewart’s website. Duh. Sounds yum. Sounds rich. Sounds like a million or two calories. *Sigh.* Oh well.
Jerks, indeed! What the heck!? I’m telling you, though, that jerky stool man is lucky I wasn’t there with you. I might look like I’m nice and innocent…but if I was there, well, i would’ve,…uhhh…okay, I’m too nice and innocent. Glad a different gal pal was able to take my place on that one. lol!
I’m thinking cherries are calling my name already this year, and these cookies might just make their place in my kitchen verrrrrry soon. :)
Girl, I SO know what you mean. Pregnancy is NOT as glamorous as people make it out to be. I was expecting doors held open, people letting me go first…nope. Just cause I’m expecting doesn’t mean people will meet my expectations.
Glad you made a tasty dessert to make up for it. A little.
Oh, I remember those days. In fact, I vividly remember explaining to my husband that growing a baby is the equivalent of CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN (one of those BabyCenter emails told me so, it must be true) and he rolled his eyes and told me I was full of crap. ROLLED HIS EYES. At his pregnant wife.
I still have not forgiven him. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out that Jerky Jerk Cheese Man was actually my Jerky Jerk Husband.
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I know that most probably you were angry while writing this post, but it’s so funny :) I’m sorry for your experience, but hey boys are jerks! And always will be :) I hope this cookied made you feel better as it looks awesome!
Bummer about the idiots you ran into. FANtastic recipe.
Sounds freakin delicious. Love the idea of cheesecake cookies!
As someone who is a former New York City resident, I assure you jackassery does not stop at pregnant women. I broke my ankle and had to take the subway to/from work each day (an 1 1/2 hour subway ride mind you), and not one person was sympathetic. I was never offered a seat (ON CRUTCHES!) and people nearly knocked me down stair cases constantly.
Not to say I didn’t “accidentally” crutch on some toes, but hey, I’m human.
I’m sorry people were such jerks to you. I hope that now that you’re home you don’t have to deal with any of that nonsense in your hometown.