Skip the cake and make these coffee cake cookies instead! These gourmet cookies feature a soft cookie base topped with crumbly cinnamon streusel and an easy glaze. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat together until light and fluffy.
½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
Add egg and vanilla and stir until well-combined.
1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2 cups cake flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet and stir until completely combined and dough is uniform.
Cover dough and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the streusel topping.
Streusel
Melt butter then set aside until cooled until no longer hot.
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
Drizzle in butter and use a fork to toss/claw the mixture until you have a clumpy streusel.
Assembly
Scoop cookies into 2 Tablespoon-sized balls and roll until smooth. Place on cookie sheet, spacing cookies 2” apart, and make a small indent or nest in the center of the dough with your thumb or the back of a round Tablespoon.
Take a handful (at least 2 Tablespoons) of streusel and gently press into the nest you created. You’ll have a heaping mound of streusel, use a lot! You may have some streusel left over.
Bake in center rack of 350F (175C) oven for 12 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before decorating with glaze (if using).
To make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar with 1 Tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed until you have a smooth glaze that ribbons off of your whisk. Drizzle over cookies.
⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tablespoons whole milk
Video
Notes
Flour
Cake flour is recommended for softer, more tender cookies. You may substitute all-purpose flour, use 1 ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon or 225 grams.
Streusel
The amount of streusel listed is the amount I personally use. You can see in the photos I use a lot per cookie (pile it on -- about as much as you'd use to top a muffin). I may have a small bit left over but not much. A few readers have commented they have a lot of streusel left over, if you're concerned about this feel free to cut the streusel recipe in half. If you find yourself with leftover streusel, you could also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Save it for another batch of cookies or on muffins.
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.