Our Test Kitchen manager and resident master baker, Stacy Fraser, loves this variation on a classic jam thumbprint. Poppy seeds give the cookies extra flair with very little effort. Though you can use any jam, cherry is particularly divine. A new mom, Stacy plans to make these part of a family tradition with her son Sawyer.

Makes about 30 cookies

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 2/3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cherry or other fruit preserves

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°F.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, poppy seeds and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter, oil and sugar in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Add egg, lemon zest and vanilla; beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spoon until just combined.
3. Form tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Gently press the tip of your thumb or finger in the center of each cookie. Place 1/2 teaspoon preserves in each indentation.
4. Bake the cookies, one batch at a time, until the edges are lightly golden, 28 to 30 minutes. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per cookie: 162 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 41 mg sodium.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Tender and flaky. Used an all fruit preserve for the filling.

Anonymous

I thought that these were great! Not the lowest in fat though...but at least the flour is whole wheat so you can pretend that they are good for you.

Sally

I used lemon curd in some of them and YUM. The dough was dry and I think that the cookies were too large as recommended. Next time I make these I will use a little less flour and make them smaller but use the same amount of jelly/curd.

Susan, Vienna, VA

These are delicious, but definitely need a milk or tea chaser. The recipe didn't state whether to use level or rounded tablespoons of dough. I used a level tablespoon from my measuring spoon set and got 48 "3-bite" size cookies, which needed only 1/4 teaspoon of jam each. I used lemon olive oil in place of the canola, which gave the cookies a nice bright lemon flavor.

Stephanie, Friday Harbor, WA