Pastries Dessert Recipes - Almond Slices Recipe

Ingredients

• 225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• a pinch of salt

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup hard block margarine, diced

• 1 egg, separated

• Cold water, to mix

• 45 ml/3 tbsp apricot jam (conserve)

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup icing (confectioners') sugar

• 175 g/6 oz/1 1/2 cups ground almonds

• 1 egg

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp almond essence (extract)

• 40 g/1/3 cup flaked (slivered) almonds

• Ice cream, to serve

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Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the margarine and rub in with the fingertips. Mix with the egg yolk and enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface.

2. Roll out and use to line an 18 x 28 cm/7 x 11 in  shallow baking tin (pan). Spread the jam in the base. Mix together the caster and icing sugars with the ground almonds.

3. Stir in the whole egg, the remaining egg white and the almond essence. Spread into the tin and decorate with the flaked almonds.

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for about 25 minutes until golden brown and set. Leave to cool slightly, then slice. Serve warm or cold with ice cream.