Almond Slice

Ingredients-

YIELD-12 Pieces

· 1 packet shortcrust pastry

· 200g raspberry jam

· 175g butter, room temperature

· 175g caster sugar

· 4 large eggs

· 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

· 1 teaspoon lemon zest

· 1 dessertspoon almond extract

· 250g ground almonds

· 60g flaked almonds

· icing sugar

METHOD

• Roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick. Place in the bottom of a 20x30cm slice tin. (I usually line the bottom of the tin with parchment just to be sure it comes out easily.)

• Preheat the oven to 190 C / Gas 5. Using a fork, poke the pastry, cover with parchment, then place some dried beans over top. Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes.

• Remove the parchment and beans from the baked pastry, bake for a further 5 mins till golden in colour, and set aside to cool.

• Spoon the raspberry jam over the cooled pastry base and spread evenly.

• To make the filling, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and the almond extract, then fold in the ground almonds.

• Spoon the mixture over the jam base and spread to the sides of the tin. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over top and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the filling is golden on top and feels firm in the middle. If the pastry starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

• Remove and allow to cool. When cool completely cooled, dust with icing sugar and cut into slices.