My Favorite Cream Cheese Cookies

Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar together until smooth in a mixer, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, mixing until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two, and place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap dusted with flour. Wrap the dough carefully and press into a disc. Refrigerate for a few hours up until 2 days.

Remove one of the discs and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it is 1/8 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter (or the top of a drinking glass), cut circle shapes out of the dough. Continue until all the dough is used up, pressing scraps together and re-rolling as necessary.

On 1/2 of the circles, press your finger in the center, making a small indentation. Place a small 1/2 teaspoon of jam in the indentation. On the remaining circles, cut out a small circle in the middle, using a thimble. (Use the cut-outs for more cookies). Place the circles with the holes in the center on top of the other circles with the jelly, making a sandwich. With your fingertips, press the edges of the two circles together, so that the filling remains inside and the cookie has a finished appearance. Repeat with the other disc of flour.

Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees in a convection oven for 20, until barely beginning to color.