Berry Cream Cookie Snaps

My sister hosted a Christmas Cookie Swap Party, where we all make and bring 2 dozen cookies, try other cookies, and take home new cookies and recipes. I loved getting to try all the cookies, it was fantastic. These cookies are what I brought, and they taste amazing (not because of me...it's a great recipe). It took me a few pans to get them right, but luckily you only cook 4 at a time (don't worry, it doesn't take long). 

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam (I used raspberry)
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 1 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 
  BATTER:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries (I used raspberries that I bought frozen)
• Additional sugar

Something round, like a wooden clothespin

Directions

1. For filling, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and jam until blended. Fold in whipped cream and food coloring if desired. Chill.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, egg whites, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in butter until blended.
3. The recipe says to line baking sheets with parchment paper, and I did, but the cookies wouldn't come off the parchment at all (hence the 4 ruined pans of cookies). I just sprayed the cookie pans with Pam and that worked much better. 
4. Preparing four cookies at a time, drop batter by 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls 4 in. apart onto prepared pan. Bake at 400° for 5-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
5. Immediately remove one cookie at a time from pan and form into a tube around a greased clean round wooden clothespin. Press lightly to seal; hold until set, about 20 seconds.
6. Remove cookie from clothespin; place on waxed paper to cool. 
7. Continue with remaining cookies. If cookies become too cool to shape, return to oven for 1 minute to soften. Repeat with remaining batter.
8. Just before serving, pipe or spoon filling into cookie shells. 
9. Dip end of cookie into strawberries and additional sugar. Refrigerate leftovers. 
   Yield: about 2 dozen.
   
   
   I don't know why this is doing all caps, it won't let me not do all caps...so you get a yelling recipe...but it's that good. :)