Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection). In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Scoop 1-tablespoon balls (about 14–16 grams each) onto a parchment-lined tray or plate and freeze for 30 minutes to an hour. You should have around 12 cream cheese balls once prepared.

Meanwhile, start the cookie dough by beating room-temperature butter in a stand mixer or by hand for 3–5 minutes, until pale and off-white.

Add brown sugar and white sugar to the butter. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the large egg until fully incorporated. Add vanilla extract, and if desired, corn syrup and molasses.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Mix on low speed with a stand mixer or fold gently with a spatula until a soft dough forms.

Scoop ⅓-cup portions of dough (about 80 grams) and place one on a baking tray as a test cookie. This helps check oven temperature, ingredient balance, and how much the cookie spreads.

If the test cookie spreads too much, add 1–2 tablespoons of flour to the dough to help the filling stay centered. Once the cream cheese–peanut butter balls are frozen, flatten each dough portion in your palm, place a cream cheese ball in the center, and fold the dough around it to secure. Roll the cookie dough ball in sugar if desired.

Place the prepared cookies on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 9–11 minutes for a 1/3-cup scoop, until edges are set but centers remain soft.

For perfectly round cookies, gently swirl a circular bowl, cup, or cookie cutter around each warm cookie to clean up the edges. Let cookies rest on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring.

Enjoy fresh, or store in the fridge for up to 10 days