12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Easy Jam-Filled

by Amy Johnson, Managing Editor, HockeyPub.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA — If you’re looking for a cookie that looks beautiful and tastes out of this world but doesn’t take an entire afternoon to bake, look no further!  Today’s recipe gives you a versatile, elegant-looking treat that melts in your mouth.  It’s hard to eat just one!  Feel free to experiment with different flavors of jam or different nuts sprinkled on the top.

Easy Jam-Filled Cookies
Recipe courtesy of “Kraft Food & Family”, Holiday Edition (2007)

Prep time: 30 min.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I used chopped pecans)
3/4 cup strawberry preserves (I used apricot preserves.  Raspberry is another good option.)
1 tsp. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

2. Separate one of the eggs and reserve the egg white for later.  Add yolk, second egg, and vanilla to cream cheese mixture; mix well.

3. Gradually add flour and baking powder, beating until well blended after each addition.

4. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.  (I recommend putting flour on your hands before handling the dough – it’s a little sticky.)  Roll each piece into a 12 x 1-inch log and place on a baking sheet.

5. Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or your fingers) to make a deep depression down the center of each log, about 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep.

6. Beat reserved egg white with a fork and brush over dough.  Sprinkle the tops of each log with chopped nuts.

7. Fill depressions with preserves, using about 3 tbsp in each log.

8. Bake 25-27 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Transfer to wire racks and allow to cool slightly.

9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

10. Cut each log into diagonal slices and allow to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for our next holiday cookie recipe – Raspberry Cheesecake Bars!  And if you missed any of the previous recipes in this series, be sure to check them out below:

Day 1 – Golden Chocolate-Chunk Nutty Bars
Day 2 – Inception Brownies
Day 3 – Traditional Butter Cookies
Day 4 – Devil’s Food Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Day 5 – Sriracha Peanut Butter Cookies

Photo credit: Amy Johnson

Tags: christmas, cookies, fans, featured, Jam, recipes