Almond square recipe

Almond Squares - before they eaten

Ok, so maybe I’m a little obsessed with almond lately.  Like these cookies and this pie.  I’m Italian; it’s coursing through my blood!  These almond squares are the essence of  what makes almond flavored anything so good.  So, what are almond squares?  Think brownies without the chocolate.  

If you’ve ever tasted a cookie from an Italian bakery, then you will love these almond squares.  Unfortunately Italian bakeries are few and far between here in Norfolk, so you’ll just have to make these  yourself.  They’re dense and chewy, but extremely moist.  There are literally eight basic ingredients in this recipe, most of which you probably have in your kitchen.  The smell is intoxicating.  So much so that I was barely able to snap a picture of these beauties before they were devoured.  …You might want to make a double batch of these almond squares!

Almond Squares

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
2 tsp pure almond extract
Chopped or slivered almonds

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 8x8 baking dish.  

In a bowl, beat eggs until light in color.  Add sugar and beat until combined.  Add oil, baking powder, flour, salt and extract and mix well.  Pour batter into prepared baking dish.  Liberally sprinkle the top with either chopped or slivered almonds.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool on a baking rack before cutting.  Enjoy!