This recipe proceeds much like a lemon square. Shortbread crust and gooey topping. There are differences, but that is what I thought of while I was preparing the recipe.
The brown sugar and shortening do not quite make a shortbread, but it is similar in texture. It has a nice rich flavor from the brown sugar. The shortening makes the layer nice and flaky.
The topping is very soft and full of flavor.
The baking powder gives the top layer some ability to rise, so the top layer isn’t too flat.
I chopped the almonds very fine, so there were little chunks of crunch throughout.
The bar is sweet. I am sure some of the sweetness comes from the coconut. The brown sugar gives the bar a lovely dark color and a ton of sweetness.
My husband claims to not like coconut, but he can’t get enough of these bars.
ALMOND BARS
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sifted Cake Flour
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Sifted Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Toasted, Chopped Almonds
Cream shortening with 1/2 cup brown sugar and work in 1 cup flour. Spread in a very thin layer in a square baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Beat eggs until light, then beat in vanilla and remaining sugar. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Spread over partly cooled mixture. Return to oven and bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
Comments