Japanese Shortbread
- Shortbread Crust
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold butter or 1 cup margarine, cut up
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Layers
- 1 cup whole blanched almond
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachio, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 -2 drop green food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted
- The layers will be prepared and arranged in the following order, from bottom to top:.
- Shortbread Crust.
- Jam Layer.
- Pistachio Layer.
- Chocolate Top.
- Shortbread Crust:.
- Heat oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan.
- Pulse flour and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add cold cut up butter to work bowl and process until mixture is the texture of coarse meal.
- Add egg and pulse until mixture begins to hold together. Note: the mixture should still be crumbly but evenly moistened by the egg.
- Sprinkle the moistened dough evenly in prepared pan. Gently press the dough with floured fingertips evenly along bottom and sides of prepared pan.
- Bake 20 to 22 mninutes until crust is brown at edges and golden in the center. Transfer to wire rack; cool while making filling.Jam Layer.
- Stir jam in a small bowl until smooth and spreadable; spread evenly over bottom of crust. (Note: an offset spatula is a great tool for spreading.)Pistachio Layer.
- Process almonds, sugar, pistachios and flour in food processor, scraping sides of bowl until almonds are very finely ground. This mixture should look like dry bread crumbs. (Note: Grinding nuts in a food processor with flour and sugar prevents the nuts from becoming too moist and turning into nut butter.).
- Add butter and 1 egg. Process until smooth. Add remaining 2 eggs, almond and vanilla extracts and food coloring; process to blend. This mixture should be smooth and creamy in appearance.
- Carefully spoon filling over Jam Layer and gently spread to cover.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes until filling is golden brown and firm when pressed lightly in center. Cool completely on wire rack.Chocolate Top.
- Spread melted chocolate evenly over Pistachio Layer. Refrigerate 10 minutes until chocolate is set.
- Score top of bars to guide knife as you cut 1 1/4 inch squares. Makes 8 dozen.
shortbread crust, flour, sugar, cold butter, egg, layers, blanched almond, sugar, pistachio, flour, butter, eggs, almond, vanilla, coloring, seedless raspberry jam, semisweet chocolate baking squares
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/japanese-shortbread-153424 (may not work)