Preheat the oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup of softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in color.
Add eggs and vanilla: Incorporate 2 large eggs, one at a time. Stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until fully combined.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Gradually mix these dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a cookie dough forms.
Prepare the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon. This mixture will be used to roll the assembled cookies.
Make the cream cheese filling: In another bowl, beat together 1 cup of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the cookies: Take a tablespoon of the cookie dough and flatten it in your hand. Place a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center, then seal the dough around it and gently roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the coated dough ball on the prepared baking sheet.
Spacing: Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing each cookie about 2 inches apart to allow for expansion during baking.
Bake: Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until they are lightly golden around the edges. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-baking!
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle with white chocolate: Finally, melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips in a microwave or double boiler. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled cookies and allow it to set.