Recipes Dream: Holiday Baking #6: Jam Filled Cream Cheese Cookies

I have this strange problem and I don't know how to fix it. Sheesh, hunny! No, I am not referring to the mountain of laundry that is almost up to my waist, although it might be related to my actual problem. No, my problem is....the more I blog, the sillier I get (and the higher the laundry pile grows). Not sure why it happens, but it is a recurring actual phenomenon that brings my family much amusement and a tad bit of embarrassment as well. So all you recipe fans are seeing a whole new side of me this December....for better or worse!

So a few days ago I went to my first ever COOKIE EXCHANGE!!! I was seriously so excited, even though I could only stay for a few minutes. We each brought a couple dozen cookies, then went home with a plate full of everyone else's. It was a baker's dream!

While I was there I met Kari, who I quickly discovered was a fellow food blogger. I was so excited to have someone to "talk shop" with and before I left I made sure we traded website addresses with each other. I quickly fell in love with her all-baking blog, Virtual Goody Plate, and her idea for daily posting in December. I immediately "borrowed" her idea for the goody-a-day and bookmarked several of her goodies to try. This beautiful cookie recipe was the first one on my list. I was bringing the treats to book group and was looking for one more unique recipe and this fit the bill perfectly. The process was a little more time consuming than most of my baking projects, but they turned out so cute and pretty and unique and festive and fun and...they were worth every second.

Click here for printable recipe.

From Virtual Goody Plate

The ingredients:

1 pkg. (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)
1/2 tsp. water (for egg wash)
1-1/2 cups jam, jelly, or preserves (make sure it contains pectin)
Coarse sugar (for sprinkling)
Star-shaped cookie cutter (4-inches across at the widest point)

Directions: In a large bowl, using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt; beat until just combined.

Divide dough into 3 portions;

flatten each portion into a disk and flouring a piece of parchment paper generously, roll each disk until very thin (about 1/8-inch thickness).

Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix egg yolk with water. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (don't try to cut the dough without peeling it first. Trust me, it doesn't work.)

With a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place 2-inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.