As requested by Melissa

For Christmas each year I make Log Jams. Then I take a photo and put it up on the blog. Like this:



Each year pleanty of people ask for the recipe. It is so easy, I usually just tell them to find a butter cookie recipe and make it into a log. Basically that's what you do. But, just for Melissa, I'll give you the whole recipe and I expect to see these photographed on everyone's blogs next year! ;-)

Log Jams and little jems

1 cup butter 1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour
dash salt 1 teaspoon baking powder
strawberry or seedless raspberry jam I use raspberry for the Log Jams and strawberry for the Little Jems

PREPARATION: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture; mixing until well blended. Shape dough into small balls (one inch) for Little Gems, or logs for Logs Jams. For Little Jems poke a wooden spoon into center of dough, forming a well, and fill hole with strawberry jam and then top with a pecan half.

For Log Jams make a well in the log, you'll have enough dough to make four "logs". Fill well with seedless raspberry jam. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Let cool. After the log jams are cool drizzle lemon drizzle over cookies.

Lemon Drizzle

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablesppons of lemon juice
milk to thin

Mix together until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

The lemon drizzle is only for the log jams!

I've given you the recipe for the two most popular cookies at our place. The little jems are superb. The toasted pecan on top just make them irresistable. So go for it guys, let's bake up a storm!