Soften cream cheese at room temperature for 30 minutes before mixing to ensure smooth, lump-free cheesecake filling that blends seamlessly with other ingredients.

Mix just until ingredients combine to keep cookies chewy; overmixing develops gluten and results in tough, cake-like cookies instead of the desired tender texture.

Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour to prevent cookies from spreading too thin and to help preserve distinct chewy layers when baked.

Press whole or halved Oreos into the center of each dough ball before baking so they stay embedded in the cookie rather than sinking to the bottom.

Remove cookies from the oven when edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone; they'll continue cooking on the baking sheet for perfect chewy centers.