How to Make Homemade Strawberry Jam

Start by washing, drying, and hulling the fresh strawberries. Finely dice them and place them in a medium-sized saucepan with the light brown sugar. Stir the mixture well to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes very thick and reduces down to about ⅓ to ¼ cup in volume. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Measure out ¼ cup of the jam, transfer it to a small bowl, and place it in the refrigerator to chill. You will use this ¼ cup of jam in the cookie dough later.

Prepare the Cheesecake Filling

In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese together with the vanilla extract and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Line a tray or small baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the filling into 12 equal portions (about 1 tablespoon each) and place them on the tray. Slightly flatten each portion and transfer the tray to the freezer. Freeze for at least 1 hour or until the filling discs are completely firm.

Make the Strawberry Cookie Dough

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. It’s best to bake only 6 cookies per sheet as they spread and are large in size. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the egg and whisk again until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be thick and may appear dry—that’s normal.

Gently fold in the diced strawberries, distributing them evenly. Push about ¾ of the dough to the side of the bowl, and flatten the remaining dough across the bottom. Using a teaspoon, dot about one-third of the chilled strawberry jam across the bottom and sides of the dough. Scrape down about half of the dough from the sides and cover the jam-dotted layer. Repeat the process by dotting another third of the jam, covering with the rest of the dough, and adding the final dots of jam. Be sure to swirl the jam and strawberries gently throughout without overmixing—you want visible swirls, not a fully tinted pink dough. Once swirled, scoop the dough into 12 equal portions and chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Assembling the Cookies

Once chilled, take each portion of cookie dough and flatten it slightly. Place one frozen cheesecake filling disc in the center of each dough piece. Carefully wrap the dough around the cheesecake filling to seal it completely, shaping each into a ball. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 4 inches apart. If the dough sticks to your hands, lightly wet your palms with water or spray them with a bit of non-stick spray to make shaping easier. Slightly flatten each cookie dough ball and sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar.

Baking

Bake the cookies for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes—they will be too soft to move right away. After they’ve set, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage

Store the cookies at room temperature for up to a few days in an airtight container, or refrigerate for extended freshness.