Raspberry Cream Cookies

These are my new favorites! The original recipe called for strawberry preserves, so I made a batch with that and also a batch with my homemade raspberry jam.

Raspberry Cream Cookies

1 cup softened butter

3 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
Raspberry jam, or other flavor of your choice

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 1/2 inch deep indentation in the middle of the cookie. I had to flour the end of the spoon so that it would not stick. Fill each hole with jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or just until set.

Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

I really like these little, bite-sized cookies. They are really easy to make, too! They can be made before the holiday season and stored between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Skip the nonpareils or substitute a different color for different seasons.

Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons multi-colored nonpareils

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and salt. Beat until well mixed. Using a spoon, stir in nonpareils.

Knead mixture 4 or 5 times in bowl until dough forms a ball. Pat dough evenly into prepared pan. Use plastic wrap to lift dough from pan. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares. Gently place squares 1/2 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Discard plastic wrap. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until bottoms just begin to brown.