Almond Bars Recipe

Almond Bars:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a half sheet pan (approximately 18×13- inches) with Baker’s Joy® Non-Stick Baking Spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, Clabber Girl® Baking Powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer until combined well. Add the eggs and almond extract. Beat until combined. Add half of the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
4. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. (NOTE: Dough will be thick. You may want to use your hands to gently mix in any remaining flour. Do not overwork the dough.)
5. Empty the dough into the prepared pan. Use your fingers or a pastry roller to spread the dough evenly in the pan.

Topping:

1. Brush milk evenly over the top of the dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, then press them lightly into the dough.
2. Bake at 325°F for 22-25 minutes. The dough will puff up high and then start to sink back down and the edges will start to lightly brown. Don’t let it brown too much.
3. Cool for about 5 minutes, then use a plastic (disposable) knife to cut 48 bars; 6 rows on the long (horizontal) side by 8 rows on the short (vertical) side, to create thin rectangles. (NOTE: The bars will appear underbaked, especially after cutting them while warm, but they will finish baking as they cool completely.) Carefully transfer the almond bars to a wire rack placed inside of a sheet pan (to catch the glaze), leaving a little space in-between each bar.
4. Cool completely.

Glaze:

1. Once cooled, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the almond extract and milk in a small bowl to the desired consistency. Drizzle over the bars and allow glaze to set before eating and/or storing.