Berry-Cream Cookie Snaps

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°. Beat cream cheese, sugar and jam until blended. Fold in whipped cream and, if desired, food coloring. Refrigerate.
• For batter, whisk sugar, flour and salt; stir in egg whites and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in butter until blended. Line baking sheets with parchment. Preparing 4 cookies at a time, drop batter by 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls 4 in. apart onto prepared pans. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.
• Loosen each cookie and curl around a wooden spoon handle. Press lightly to seal; hold until set, about 20 seconds. Transfer to waxed paper to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies. If cookies become too cool to shape, return to oven for 1 minute to soften.
• Just before serving, spoon filling into cookie shells. Or pipe it by cutting a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag and inserting a star tip, then transferring filling to bag. After filling shells, dip ends of cookies into chopped strawberries if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.