Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using an electric beater or a whisk, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.

Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla, then mix in the flour and salt (if using).

Lightly beat together the egg whites in a separate bowl. They don’t need to be super fluffy, just mixed together so they’re no longer gloopy.

Place the finely chopped pecans into a small bowl.

Scoop about a tablespoon and a half of cookie batter and roll it into a ball between your hands.

Dip the cookie dough ball into the egg whites, then dip it into the pecan pieces.

Place about 8 cookies onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart, and place the rest of the cookie dough into the fridge.

Using a teaspoon or your thumb or knuckle, make a small indentation into the center of each cookie. In each indentation, put up to a teaspoon of your favorite jam (depending on the size of the indentation). Don’t overfill, though. You don’t want the jam to leak out while it bakes.

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, then let them cool completely before eating.