Ingredients

The following ingredients have 20 Servings
  • 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup almond paste at room temperature
  • 1 large egg (at room temperature)
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 350F Lightly butter and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add the egg, almond paste, and extract, and beat until well combined. Make sure to smooth out any lumps of almond paste.
  • Add the flour and gently mix until just blended and no dry flour remains. Don't over mix.
  • Spread the dough out evenly in the baking pan with an offset spatula. It will take a minute or two to get it spread and level. I like to drop chunks of the batter all over the bottom of the pan before I start to try to spread it out.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, just until set and starting to turn golden along the edges of the pan. Don't over bake, as you want your shortbread to be tender. Check the pan on the early side.
  • Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before glazing.
  • To make the glaze, heat the butter and cream in a medium saucepan until the butter melts. Stir in the sugar and extract, and whisk until the glaze is smooth. If it seems too thin, add a bit more sugar, and if it seems too thick, add a touch more cream. Stir in the sliced almonds and pour over the warm shortbread. Ease the glaze to all the edges with an offset spatula, working quickly.
  • Let the pan cool before slicing.