Frangipane Bars
- CRUST
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup ice water
- TOPPING
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces almond paste, cut into small pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly butter a 15x10x1" baking pan.
- TO MAKE THE CRUST:.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Ad the butter and shortening and using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with 1 tbls of ice water and toss with a fork until the mixture begins to pull together as a dough.
- Gather into a ball and place on a lightly floured work surface.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle large enough to cover the bottom and reach up 1/4 of the way up sides of pan. (trim as needed).
- The crust will shrink slightly after it is prebaked. Fit the dough into the pan and press into place.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350*.
- If the cherry or strawberry preserves are especially lumpy, puree them briefly in a food processor until smooth. Spread in a thin layer over the cooled crust.
- TO MAKE THE TOPPING:.
- in a large bowl, beat the sugar, almond paste and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the flour, the vanilla dn almond extracts and salt until smooth.
- Spoon the topping over the cherry preserves, using a small spatula to spread it inot an even layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.(the frangipan will be browned on edges and slightly soft in the center).
- Cool thoroughly (the center will firm when cooled) on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
- Cut 7 acoss and 7 down.
flour, sugar, salt, butter, vegetable shortening, water, topping, sugar, almond paste, eggs, flour, vanilla, almond extract, salt
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/frangipane-bars-122570 (may not work)