Heat oven to 350°F. Beat together sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg yolk till creamy. Stir in flour and salt. Shape into 3/4 inch balls. Beat egg white slightly with fork. Dip each ball into egg white, then roll in almonds. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation, do not press all the way through to the baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes till light brown. Quickly remake indentations with end of wooden spoon if necessary. Immediately remove from sheet to rack. Fill each imprint with 1/2 teaspoon curd or jam.
Nicole's Note
If using curd, cookies probably need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Each cookie: 70 calories, 1 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 10 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium