Raspberry Fingers

Ok so today is the first day of my new blog!! I am excited.  I retired a couple of months ago and decided I definitely needed something to do or else I would be looking for another job soon. I found that my house is definitely not as clean as it would have been when I was working because I have developed the annoying habit of thinking Oh well I can do it tomorrow.  Such is the lament of many retired people as I have come to learn.  Anyway I love to bake and decided if I had this blog I would also have all my favorite baking recipes in one spot.  The recipe I am using today is one that I have made numerous times and everyone asks for the recipe.  I cannot tell you where I got the recipe from because I found it so long ago I don't remember. It really is easy once you get the hang of how the dough feels.  I found that this is a common problem when people try the recipe for the firs time.  I will go step by step so you can really see the dough.


Raspberry Fingers


2 cups flour
1 cup butter (it doesn't matter whether the butter is cold or soft, it's a little harder with the cold butter but you can do it!)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
raspberry jam
2 tablespoons of sliced or chopped almonds


Mix the butter and flour with a pastry blender or two forks until the size of small peas. This is the first picture.  Its not overly mixed cause we still have to add and mix in the sugar and ground almonds.  I use a blender to ground up the almonds.  You want to use a fork when mixing now.  Just add the egg yolks and almond extract. By this time the dough should be coming together, there should be no bits of flour loose. Now just divide the dough in half.  One half you can make into a ball and the other half you will sprinkle into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch glass baking pan. Press into pan with no open spots.  The dough will be stretchy enough to move a little if you need to fill in spots.


Set that aside and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take a sheet of wax paper and sprinkle it with a little flour. Put the ball of dough on it and flatten a little.  Cover with another sheet of wax paper and roll to fit the pan.  I put the pan right over the wax paper to make sure the measurements are OK.  Lightly spread the bottom with raspberry jelly. I really just eyeball the jelly.  Just be sure you don't get the jelly too close to the edge, leave about a 1/4 inch.  Take the top sheet of waxed paper off and flip the pastry onto the jelly.  You have to be careful here. If you have trouble getting the wax paper off I use a butter knife to carefully slide it off the paper once it is flipped.  You can patch any parts that you need to also.  Now egg wash and sprinkle on some almonds.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. You can cover up any of the patches with the almonds.  Mostly I just use the leftover ground almonds in the bottom of the blender and put them on top. This time I actually bought thinly sliced almonds to put on top.  Believe me the taste is the same.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and use it as much as I do.  Until tomorrow!!!!