Almond Bars
Ingredients:
- packed canned almond paste, coarsely crumbled - 1/2 cup
- salt - 1/2 tsp
- sugar - 3/4 cup
- unsalted butter, softened - 1 cup
- egg, separated - 1 large
- almond extract - 1 tsp
- flour - 1 1/4 cups
- sliced almonds - 1/2 cup
Instructions:
Pulse almond paste in a food processor until broken up into small bits, add salt and 1/4 cup sugar; continue to pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute. Butter a 9 x 9 inch baking pan, line with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on 2 opposite sides, butter foil; set aside.
In a bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar together, with mixer on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 6 minutes. Add almond mixture, egg yolk and almond extract, beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix until combined. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. In a bowl, lightly beat egg white, brush some of the egg white over the batter and sprinkle almonds evenly over the top.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes until top is golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into squares. Store in a single layer in a airtight container at room temperature.
