Strawberry Cream Cookie Snaps

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• How cute are these little cream filled cookie snaps?! Almost too cute to eat...almost. They take a little extra work but are sooo worth it!! It's strawberry season folks so put them to good use in this Strawberry-licious recipe!! 
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• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• BATTER:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• Additional sugar 
• DIRECTIONS: 
  • For filling, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and jam until blended. Fold in whipped cream and food coloring if desired. Chill.
  • In a small 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 lightly 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. If cookies become too cool to shape, return to oven for 1 minute to soften. Repeat with remaining batter.
  • Just before serving, pipe or spoon filling into cookie shells. Dip end of cookie into strawberries and additional sugar. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: about 2 dozen. Recipe adapted from Taste of Home