Swedish Frosted Almond Bars Food

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper; spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix cookie mix, softened butter, egg, flour and 1 teaspoon almond extract until dough forms.
• Divide dough into 3 pieces. Place 2 dough pieces on first cookie sheet. Press each piece into 12x2 1/2-inch rectangle, leaving 4 inches between rectangles. Place remaining piece of dough on second cookie sheet, and repeat shaping.
• Brush each rectangle with 1/2 teaspoon milk; sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds. Press almonds lightly into tops of dough.
• Bake one cookie sheet at a time 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown (center will look soft). Cool 1 minute. Using sharp knife, cut each log into 1-inch diagonal slices, making sure to cut completely through almond slices while cutting. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack, leaving slices on parchment paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 5 to 6 teaspoons milk until desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies; sprinkle 3 tablespoons almonds over tops. Let stand about 1 hour or until glaze is set. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.

ELEGANT ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat almond paste, sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs; beat until well blended (mixture may be slightly lumpy).
• Spread almond paste mixture over partially baked base. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until filling is set (filling will puff up during baking). Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 1-quart heavy saucepan, melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Pour and spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds. Let stand about 30 minutes or until topping is set. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

HOLIDAY ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, almond paste and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Gradually add flour just until moistened., Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining sugar; top with almonds. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and almond extract; mix until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; mix well.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces, and roll each one into a log about 12 inches long. Place 2 logs per cookie sheet 4 to 5 inches apart. Flatten each roll by hand until it is about 3 inches wide. Brush flattened roll with milk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. While the cookies are still warm, cut them crosswise at a diagonal, into slices about 1 inch wide. When cool, drizzle with almond icing.
• Almond icing: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cookies.

SCANDINAVIAN ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a large bowl beat margarine or butter till softened.
• Add sugar and beat till fluffy.
• Add egg and the 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and beat well.
• Add the flour mixture and beat till well mixed.
• Divide the dough into fourths, form each portion into a 12 inch roll.
• Place 2 of the rolls 4 to 5-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Flatten each roll till it is about 3 inches wide.
• Repeat with the remaining rolls.
• Brush each flattened roll with milk and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of almonds each.
• Bake in a 325° oven for 12-14 minutes or till edges are lightly brown.
• While still warm, cut crosswise on the diagonal into 1 inch strips.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Stir together the powdered sugar, the almond extract and enough of the 3-4 teaspoons of milk to make a drizzling consistency.
• Drizzle over the cool bars.

SWEDISH FROSTED ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven 375. In a bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the crust ingredients together until mixture is crumbly. Press into a 13x9" pan, working the dough a little up the sides. Bake 20 minutes until pale golden. For the filling, using the same bowl used to cream together the crust, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Scrap the sides of the bowl. Mix in the ground almonds and extract. Spread filling over the baked crust. Bake another 10-15 minutes until the filling is firm and set. Remove from oven and cool. Mix the Icing ingredients, you want the icing to be stiff, but able to drizzle, but not too runny. Drizzle with the spoon over the cooled bars. Let icing set up, about 30 minutes. Cut bars about 1x2 inches.

ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until lemon-colored. Beat in butter and extract; gradually stir in the four and mix well. Spread into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

SWEDISH NUT BARS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare a 9 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan by lining bottom with either waxed paper or parchment paper. Grease the paper.
• Separate the eggs and reserve the whites. Beat egg yolks until thick and tripled in volume. Add sugar slowly, beating until very thick. Slowly fold in nuts and extract. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them into the yolk mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for one hour or until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out and remove paper. Cool completely. Cut as needed.

SWEDISH CHOCOLATE FROSTED ALMOND BARS {MAZARINKAKOR}

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, egg, and butter. Mix at low speed until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan, working it up the sides of the pan about 1/2 inch. Bake 20 minutes until pale golden.
• For the filling, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, beating until light and fluffy, cleaning sides of the bowl. Mix in the almonds. Spread filling over the pastry and bake another 10 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and cool.
• Put the chocolate chips into a small, heavy duty plastic bag with zip type closure. Place in a bowl of hot tap water until chips are melted. Knead bag to be sure chips are completely melted. Wipe bag dry with paper toweling. With scissors, cut a small opening across one of the bottom corners of the bag. Squeeze out a thin stream of chocolate, crisscrossing the top of the bars.
• Makes 48 bars, about 1 x 2 inches.
• The Great Scandinavian Baking Book B. Ojakangas.