Thumbprint Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
3 -4 tablespoons red currant jelly (I like to use icing made with powdered sugar & butter, flavored with chocolate or instant coffee) or 3 -4 tablespoons raspberry jam (I like to use icing made with powdered sugar & butter, flavored with chocolate or instant coffee)

Preparation

In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.
Separate eggs.
Place whites in a small bowl, lightly beat; set aside.
Add egg yolks and vanilla to butter mixture.
Beat well.
In another bowl, stir together flour and salt.
Gradually add flour & salt to butter mixture, Blending thoroughly.
With your hands, roll dough into balls about 1-inch diameter.
Dip each ball in eggs whites, then roll in finely chopped walnuts to coat.
Place on greased baking sheets,spacing 1 inch apart.
With your thumb or the tip of a spoon (I use my thumb), make an indentation inthe center of each ball.
Neatly fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jelly or jam.
(If using icing fill each cookie after baking.) Bake in a 375\u00b0 oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let cool on baking sheets for about 1 minute, then transfer to rack and let cool completely.
This is when I fill each with icing.