Step 1: Lightly flour a clean surface. Unroll your puff pastry or pie crust dough. Using a 2.5 to 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Gently press each circle into the wells of your mini muffin tin, creating a small cup. Prick the bottom of each crust several times with a fork to prevent puffing.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with granulated sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
Step 3: Place a small dollop (about 1 teaspoon) of the cream cheese mixture into each pastry cup. Spread it evenly. On top of the cream cheese, add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of your chosen Christmas jam. You can swirl it gently with a toothpick if desired for a marbled effect.
Step 4: Bake in your preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry edges are golden brown and the cream cheese filling is set. The jam will be bubbly.
Step 5: Remove the mini muffin tin from the oven and let the christmas jam cream tartlets festive dessert recipe cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired, for a beautiful presentation.