LITTLE ROCK — One bite of these rich vanilla cookies, studded with a dollop of sweet jam, and I was transported back to my granny’s kitchen.

Prepare two batches, one to enjoy now and one to freeze for up to 3 months.

Thumbprint Jammies

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup seedless jam (we used

an assortment of pineapple,

orange marmalade and

mixed berry)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two cookie sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix well.

On low speed, beat in flour,beating just until blended, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Drop dough by roundedtablespoons spaced 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 6 minutes. Remove cookie sheets from oven and working quickly, press an indentation in the center of each mound of dough using a melon baller or the back of aspoon. Fill each indentation with jam (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon).

Return cookies to oven and bake 12 to 14 minutes more, or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Cool on pans for several minutes, then transfer cookies to wireracks to cool completely. Cookies will keep at room temperature for 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Recipe adapted from The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen Cookie Lover’s Cookbook

Food, Pages 39 on 11/07/2012