Scandinavian Almond Bars

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Scandinavian Almond Bars are soft, chewy shortbread bars literally packed with almond flavor ~ they freeze beautifully, and make fabulous holiday gifts!

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick, or 4 ounces) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1¼ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup almond meal or flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp milk or cream
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• glaze
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• ½ tsp almond extract
• milk or cream to thin

Method

1. Set oven to 325F Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and the extract.
4. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together and add slowly to the bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
5. Press the dough into the pan with your fingers. I find it it easiest if I scatter the dough in crumbles across the pan and then pat it down. If you don't have quite enough dough to fill your pan, you can stop it a little shy of one edge...the dough will stay put as it bakes. Take a little time with this step to ensure you've got an even layer of dough.
6. Brush the top of the dough with the milk or cream, and then top it with the sliced almonds. Press them down gently with your hands.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or just until the dough is drying out and just beginning to brown along the edges. The bars will appear under-cooked, but will firm up as they cool.
8. Let the bars cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then slice them. If they seem too soft, let them cool a bit longer. Carefully remove the slices to a rack to cool completely before you ice them.
9. To make the glaze, stir the sugar together with the extract, and enough milk or cream to thin to a glaze. Drizzle over the cooled bars.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island