Start by taking butter and cream cheese out of the fridge about an hour before baking. They need to be truly softened – when you press your finger into them, it should leave an easy indent but not be melty.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. This helps distribute the leavening evenly – no one wants to bite into a clump of baking powder!

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until it’s really light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step! The mixture should turn several shades lighter and look almost whipped.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl – that cream cheese likes to stick. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle, it needs about 30 minutes in the fridge.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12×10-inch rectangle. The parchment prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which would make the cookies tough.

Remove the top piece of parchment. Spread half the jam in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. The jam should be just thick enough to cover the dough – too much will make rolling difficult.

Here’s the fun part: Using the bottom parchment to help, start rolling from the long side, lifting and peeling the parchment away as you roll. You want a nice tight roll – think sushi! If the dough gets too soft to handle, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Wrap each roll in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This firms up the dough so you can get nice clean slices.

When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice the chilled rolls into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If the roll starts getting soft while you’re slicing, put it back in the fridge – cold dough means rounder cookies.

Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. The centers should still look slightly soft – they’ll set up as they cool.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if you’d like.