Strawberry Cream Cookies

While strawberries are in season, this is a great way to use them. The creamy filling is refreshing, and the cookies themselves are sweet and snappy. These are small cookies, so don't be fooled by the picture.

Strawberry Cream cookies
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
1/4 cup cool whip

Batter:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

For filling, in a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and jam until blended. Fold in cool whip. Chill.

In a bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, egg whites, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in butter until blended. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 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 browned.

Immediately remove one cookie at a time from parchment and form into a tube around a greased clean round wooden clothespin. Press lightly to seal; hold until set, about 20 seconds. Remove cookie from clothespin; place on waxed paper to cool. Continue with remaining cookies.
Just before serving, pipe or spoon filling into cookie shells. Dip end of each cookie into strawberries.