Glazed Almond Weave

By norsegal8

Toasted whole almonds, coated in a light honey glaze, weave into a close-fitting pattern over a buttery crust during baking. Any time you serve these stunning cookies, i guarantee you are showing off one of the best pastries you can make.

Ingredients

• DOUGH
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• TOPPING
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pound blanched almonds

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust rack to lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Dough: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor bowl. Process just to blend the ingredients. Add the butter slices all at once, and process with on/off bursts until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal.
3. Whisk the egg and vanilla together in a small bowl. With the motor on, pour the egg mixture down the feed tube. Process just until the ingredients form a ball.
4. Divide the dough into eight pieces and scatter them over an ungreased 10-x 15-x 1-inch baking pan. With floured fingertips, pat the dough to extend the portions to cover the pan as evenly as possible.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is set and is ivory-colored. After 5 minutes, check the dough for any lifting; if so, prick the spots with a skewer to release trapped air. When the crust is set, remove it from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
6. Topping: Combine the cream, butter, honey and sugar in a heavy-bottomed 1 ½-quart saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Raise the heat to medium-high, and boil the mixture until it registers 235°F., the soft-ball stage, on a candy thermometer about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the almonds. Pour over the crust, return the crust to the oven. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or just until the nuts are golden.
7. Place the baking pan on a wire rack to cool and allow the topping to firm. With a ruler and a sharp paring knife, cut into 1-inch by 2 ½-inch sticks.
8. After cutting, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and store up to 4 days at room temperature. Seal the foil around the rim of the pan without letting the foil touch the topping’s shiny surface.