Almond Slices Recipe

225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

A pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz hard block margarine, diced
1 egg, separated
Cold water, to mix
45 ml/3 tbsp apricot jam (conserve)
100 g/4 oz caster (superfine) sugar

100 g/4 oz icing (confectioners) sugar
175 g/6 oz ground almonds

1 egg
2.5 ml almond essence (extract)

40 g flaked (slivered) almonds
Ice cream, to serve

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the margarine and rub in with the fingertips. Mix with the egg yolk and enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll out and use to line an 18 x 28 cm/7 x 11 in shallow baking tin (pan). Spread the jam in the base. Mix together the caster and icing sugars with the ground almonds. Stir in the whole egg, the remaining egg white and the almond essence. Spread into the tin and decorate with the flaked almonds. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for about 25 minutes until golden brown and set. Leave to cool slightly, then slice. Serve warm or cold with ice cream. (These are also good served cold for tea.)