Got Milk? 4: Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

So.
I needed to make cookies for Home Church this week.  Actually, I just needed to make a dessert, but I'd pinned these cookies and couldn't stop thinking about them.  Obviously, this was the perfect occasion to make small cheesecake-type bites that I could share with friends.
Here's the thing:  the recipe said they would make 3 dozen.  I didn't make small cookies, and I got 4 dozen.  Then there were only 4 of us at Home Church, and while J ate 3, he told me they were okay, but he didn't really like desserts like that (he only likes chocolate chip cookies...WHAT'S UP WITH THAT????).  So I needed to decide what to do with over 3 dozen cookies that I wasn't sure what they'd be like after freezing.
Seeing as I've never done anything but go to school for my entire life, I really don't know what any other workplace is like.  What I do know is this:  if you put food on the staff room table in any school, it will disappear.  Quickly.  Weirdly, I knew I was going to visit my old staff and I took them the cookies.  I didn't even offer them to my current teachers.  I'm not sure what I really think that means.  Cookies were enjoyed by all.  They're delicious.  My husband is crazy.  Friday is treat day.  I'll feed my own staff then.
I present to you now Heat Oven to 350's Cherry Cheesecake Cookies:

Ingredients:

3-1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 c butter, softened
1-1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c graham cracker crumbs
2 cans cherry pie filling

Method:
1.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir to distribute evenly.
2.  Cream sugar with butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla, beating until incorporated.  Reduce speed to low, and incorporate flour; mixing until just combined.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
3.  Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl.  Preheat oven to 350F. 
4.  Roll dough into 1-1/2" balls.  Roll in crumbs and place on ungreased baking sheets.  Press tablespoon into each ball, leaving an indentation in the middle.  Place 3 cherries in each indentation.
5.  bake for 12-14 minutes until golden.  Cool 5-10 minutes on baking sheets, and then completely on wire racks.

From Heat Oven to 350

This is a pretty stiff dough, even before refrigerating.  I was very glad that I was using the KitchenAid for this one.

I crushed my own graham crackers.  Cause that's how I roll.

Think of these as glorified thumbprint cookies.  The cream cheese sugar cookie dough is nice, though.

You know what's not so great in a can of cherry pie filling?  The ratio of red goo to fruit.  I finally started scooping the red goo out of the can and onto a paper towel so I could get at just the fruit.  I was fairly sure it would melt all over the pan if I put it on the cookies.  Even sadder is that I had 2 cherries more than needed for 45 cookies.  Out of 2 CANS, people.  That's just not right.

But there's the final product, and they were all good.