Email to Cat      

Raspberry-Almond Linzer Bars

Source of Recipe

From "Cookies, Brownies, and Bars" by Elinor Klivans


Recipe Introduction

"With bright red raspberry jam peeking through the rich almond lattice top, these versatile and easy-to-make bars are a beautiful choice for a holiday cookie platter or for filling a gift tin."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup blanched almonds
â—¦ 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ cup granulated sugar
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ ½ teaspoon almond extract
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups seedless raspberry jam


Recipe

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325° F. Press a 15-inch piece of aluminum foil onto the bottom and over the sides of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Butter the foil.

In a food processor, pulse the almonds to chop coarsely, then process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Using a mixer on low speed, beat just to blend the ingredients, about 1 minute. Add the butter and beat until the largest pieces are about the size of peas, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the egg mixture to the large bowl and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides, about 15 seconds.

Form 1 cup of the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Press the remaining dough over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Spread the jam over the dough. Cut the chilled dough into 10 equal pieces. On a floured work surface with floured hands, roll each piece to make ten 9-by-½-inch ropes. Lay five ropes, 1 inch apart, over the jam. Then lay the remaining five ropes over the first at an angle, 1 inch apart, to form a lattice pattern. Bake just until the lattice is lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool until room temperature, about 1 hour.

Holding the ends of the foil, lift the bar onto a cutting surface. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the bar into 25 pieces. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes 25 bars