I know, I know. It's been ages since I've written a blog post. I have lots of amazing excuses like how I had a horrible reaction to some unknown substance which looked like poison oak on my face and had to take two FULL rounds of prednisone (so much for staying away from chemicals, right?!!), or how my sister just got married, family was in town, etc., etc., etc. That being said, I probably wouldn't have had time to nail down this gluten and refined sugar free recipe if it weren't for having a relative over with gluten sensitivities. Just about everything I make now is wheat-flour free, but this was the perfect excuse to try making this recipe ONE more time, and I have to admit, I think I finally nailed down the perfect rendition.
Several people have commented on how the almond squares remind them of baklava, but this is SO much easier to make!
Also, I must note that I have a horrible small oven (my husband calls it an "easy-bake" oven), and it burns everything. Needless to say, it's a bit hard creating a recipe with a non-reliable oven! So my cooking times are far from exact. If I get lucky enough to try out this recipe in a normal oven, I will be sure to update this post in the future with a more accurate estimation of cooking times. :)
Almond Squares
Crust:
2 1/2 cups almond flour or meal
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz. chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping:
1 cup honey
8 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
4 cups sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 325. Line the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Combine ingredients for crust in a food processor and process until the butter is well mixed (batter will be wet). Spread batter in pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute. Bake for approximately 10-20 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine honey and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for exactly 3 minutes, then add heavy cream and almonds. Gently stir until almonds are well covered. Poor over hot crust and bake for additional 10 minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely and then ENJOY.
