BUTTERY ALMOND BARS

BUTTERY ALMOND BARS
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 1/2 ounces almond flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a medium bowl, cream the butter. Add the remaining ingredients and beat just until well combined. Spread in a greased 8x8" baking pan. It's helpful to cover the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap, then gently press on the plastic to spread the dough evenly; peel off the plastic and discard. Bake at 350?15-20 minutes until golden brown; cool. Turn out of the pan and cut into 12 "fingers". Place them on a baking sheet and continue baking at 350?about 5-10 minutes until well-browned, but not burnt. Cool completely.

Makes 12 bars
Can be frozen

Made with granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 144 Calories; 13g Fat; 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

Made with liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 136 Calories; 13g Fat; 3g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carbs

This recipe came about by accident. I made a batch of Almond Cookies to use for a tiramisu recipe. At the last minute I decided to press the dough into a pan rather than make individual cookies. The result was wonderful. If you omit the second baking, these would make a nice, tender cake bar. The extra baking firms them up and makes them more like a bar cookie. I tested the recipe using liquid Splenda. I can think of other possible flavor variations that might be nice, such as lemon or orange instead of almond. Click the photo to see a close-up.

UPDATE: I've changed the amount of almond flour from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons which is closer to 4 1/2 ounces.

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