Almond paste makes moist bars worth it
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By Elaine Magee
I've had a few requests over the past few months to lighten almond cakes or bars. I tried lightening a couple of recipes that were sent to me and I ended up LOVING the version below. This recipe uses almond paste, which can be pricey, but when you taste this recipe I hope you'll agree it's so worth it.
The original recipe comes from Gourmet magazine (December 2004) and we've changed it by using less sugar (1/2 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup) and fat (3/4 cup less-fat margarine plus 1/4 cup light or fat-free cream cheese instead of 1 cup of butter). We also increased the fiber and nutrients by adding half whole-wheat flour instead of all white flour.
For this recipe, you need almond paste, not marzipan. Almond paste, which contains ground almonds and glycerin and sometimes almond extract, is less sweet and more coarse than marzipan, which contains ground almonds, sugar and sometimes egg white and food coloring.
The result was an amazingly moist bar packed with almond flavor. In fact, this ended up becoming my breakfast the morning I tested it because I enjoyed it so much I went from two bites to 10 in no time flat.
Original recipe contains 146 calories, 10 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat and 30 milligrams cholesterol per square.
MOIST ALMOND BARS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-9-inch or 8-by-8-inch baking dish with foil and coat the foil with canola cooking spray. Set aside.
In small food processor bowl, pulse almond paste to break up into small bits. Add in the salt and 1/4 cup sugar and pulse until finely ground (about 30 seconds).
In large mixing bowl, combine margarine, cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar with electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beating at medium speed for about a minute. Add in the almond paste mixture, egg yolk and almond extract and beat until blended in (about 1 minute). Reduce speed to lowest speed and add in the flours, beating just until combined.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl then brush some of it over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the top evenly with sliced almonds.
Bake until the top is just golden (about 35 minutes). Cool completely in pan on a rack (about 30 minutes). Lift foil out of pan and onto a flat surface. Cut into 25 squares and serve. The bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
Makes 25 squares.
Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian. Learn more about her and her book, "Food Synergy," at www.recipedoctor.com.
