1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light in color. Add egg yolks, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until combined. Next add the flour and salt and mix until incorporated. 
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough chill for at least one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in the finely chopped pecans. Place dough balls on the baking pan and make an indention in the center of the ball by using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon. 
5. Bake cookies for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and re-press the indentions of the cookie with the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon, if needed. Fill each cookie indention with ½ teaspoon desired jam* or preserve. Place cookies back in the oven for 5-6 more minutes. Once baked, transfer cookies from baking pan to a wire cooling rack.

*For the purpose of this recipe/photoshoot, we used apricot preserves and seedless raspberry jam. 

One great thing about thumbprint cookies is their versatility. You can change up the fillings with other things like caramel, chocolate, royal icing, buttercream frosting, etc. To do this, skip the baking period and bake the cookies 10-11 minutes. Make sure that the cookies are cooled before adding these types of fillings.