Shelly's Recipe

AMARETTO SHORTBREAD BARS

Category: Bars

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg, separated
1/4 cup amaretto
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put sugar and flour in a food processor and pulse to combine. In a small bowl, stir egg yolk together with 2 tablespoons amaretto. Put butter on top of flour-and-sugar mixture and pulse until crumbly. With machine running, add yolk mixture through feed tube and turn machine off as soon as mixture begins to come together. Spread in prepared pan, pressing down dough to make it about 1/2-inch thick. Make sure layer is compact and doesn't appear crumbly.

Beat together egg white and remaining 2 tablespoons amaretto in a small bowl and brush over shortbread. Sprinkle top with almonds, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a preheated 325 until almonds are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes. Cut shortbread into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and let cool completely in pan. Cut into squares. DO-AHEAD: Store in a airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.