Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe with Mudpie

We are halfway through the week and I am counting the days until this weekend. We always celebrate Thanksgiving early with my family and because my cousin’s wedding is next weekend we get to celebrate THIS weekend! I can’t wait to get into the Holiday spirit and really get this season started. We are kicking it off this year with a family cookie exchange, so I thought it would be fun to share my favorite Christmas cookie recipe with you all!

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Speaking of the holiday season, one of my favorite traditions we have is a cookie exchange with friends and their kids. It’s mostly the girls from play group plus a few more! Last year I did no-bake cookies because I was SO nervous to bake for other people and was convinced they wouldn’t turn out well. However, this year I got the nerve to try out my FAVORITE holiday cookies. Ever since my brother started dating Bailey she brings cookies over on Christmas from her family’s cookie exchange. These cookies are NEXT level, every detail is perfection. So going into this I was pretty intimated but she assured me they just look pretty without being hard to make.

I thought it would be a good idea to do a practice run with Eloise. If Eloise approves then we are set right? After doing a practice run I feel GREAT! I even had some left over for Katie (who was photographing while I made them) to try some and she said they are AMAZING! No sooner than I am feeling pretty good about the cookie exchange this week and am even more excited I get to share my favorite holiday cookie with people we love!

**Recipe shared at the end of the post.

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE: Sweetheart Jamwiches

Recipe is from Southern Living – “Sweetheart Jamwiches”

Ingredient:

1 (15 oz) package of refrigerated piecrust

1 egg white lightly beaten

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter softened

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 (10 oz) jar seedless raspberry preserves or strawberry jam

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Spinkles (optional)

Directions

Unfold piecrusts on a lightly floured surface, and roll to press out fold lines. Cut with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Reroll remaining dough, and repeat procedure. (There should be a total of 46 pastry hearts.) Brush 1 side of each pastry heart with egg white, and sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar. Place pastry hearts on 2 ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 400° for 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove hearts to wire racks, and let cool
During the cooling, Stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and almond extract until blended.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on unsugared sides of half the hearts; spread about 1/2 teaspoon preserves over mixture. Top with remaining hearts, unsugared sides down.
After that, microwave white chocolate morsels and 1 tablespoon butter in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted. Stir until smooth. Place mixture in a small heavy-duty zip-top bag; seal bag. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag, and drizzle over tarts. Let cool completely; sprinkle with red sparkling sugar, if desired. Place in candy boxes, if desired.