I bit into the almond whatsit (they had me at almond) and sighed happily when something began niggling in the back of my brain. I had had something else blissfully almondish… Yes, the almond cake that everyone went wild for, but something else… And then it hit me. Astrid’s almond bars. Eureka!
Astrid was a sweet little lady at the church I grew up in, and one blessed day she brought these luscious bars to a church potluck. Or ladies’ tea. Or something. All I remember is falling in love, and my mother and I sweetly begging the recipe – which arrived on a beautiful little recipe card shortly thereafter.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that I’m making these now – Astrid called them Swedish Almond Bars, and I certainly live now in the land of Swedes and bars! And oh, these are delicious!
- 1 cup sliced almonds, divided
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle ½ cup of the almonds in the bottom of the pan.
- Beat together the butter, eggs, sugar, almond and vanilla extracts till well blended. Add flour and salt and beat till smooth. Spread batter in the pan.
- Combine the 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Top with the remaining ½ cup almonds.
- Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.
I’ve been a busy little elf, baking away over here.
