We have been making Almond Slice in my family since I was a child. My mom was originally given the recipe from my aunt and since then they have made a near yearly appearance at Christmas time.
I wasn’t sure where the original recipe for almond slices came from, so I set out to find as many variations of the recipe I could find and test the various recipes until I found the perfect one.
For this particular recipe, I adapted a version as shared by Jane Brocket in Vintage Cakes. The original recipe calls for more ground almonds in the filling, but I found that this made the sponge quite dense and dry. I use more flour which makes it lighter. In addition, I have added almond essence to the sponge to boost the natural almond flavour.
These slices start with a butter pastry topped with jam and a light almond sponge with a final sprinkling of flaked almonds on the top. A wonderful baked treat for an afternoon tea or a picnic lunch, these almond slices are always a hit!
What to Expect from this Almond Slice Recipe
- A buttery and flaky pastry bottom
- Light almond sponge with a subtle almond scent
- Sticky jam filling that adds a tart sweetness to slice
- Easily transportable which makes them ideal for lunches, potlucks, and picnics
What You’ll Need to Make this Recipe
- 8” x 12” rectangular cake pan
- all-purpose flour
- almond flour
- sugar
- soft unsalted butter
- egg
- raspberry jam (or another flavour of your choice)
- almond flakes or slivers
- almond essence
How to Make Almond Slice
Make the pastry crust. This needs to be done in advance as the pastry dough needs to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Combine the flour, almond flour and sugar in a medium sized bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter in with just your fingertips (you don’t want to melt the butter with the heat of your hands here), until the mixture looks like large bread crumbs. Add the egg and mix everything together with your hand until you form a soft and sticky dough. Press the dough into the prepared pan until it’s even and comes up the sides just a little bit. Prick the dough a few times with a fork (maybe 10 – 12 times) and cover it with plastic wrap. Pop the pan into the fridge for at least an hour to allow the pastry to chill. You want the butter to harden up again, so that when it bakes, you’ll achieve flaky layers.
After 1 hour, heat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Bake the crust in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until it looks dry and is just beginning to brown. Be careful not to overbake it or it will become tough. Once baked, place the pan on a cooling rack to cool while you begin to make almond sponge.
Put the butter and sugar into a medium bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Next, add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and baking powder and stir until combined. Finally add the almond essence and give everything one last stir.
Now you’re ready to build your almond slice! Spread a generous layer of jam over the pastry base. I prefer to use more jam than less, as the jam absorbs a bit into the sponge when baked.
Next, spread the almond batter over the jam. Take your time here to spread it evenly over the jam. Use an off-set spatula if you have one. A knife will also work well. Spread the batter evenly over the jam. You don’t have to worry so much about spreading it right to the edges as the batter will spread a bit during baking.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds liberally over the top and bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until baked and browned on top.
This almond slice always tastes better on the second day. They will keep up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Julianne’s Notes
While the two can often be used interchangeably in a recipe, they do have two different textures. Almond flour is made with ground blanched almonds and the texture is finer than ground almonds (or almond meal), which is made with whole almonds with their skins still on. The grain size of ground almonds is bigger, which leads to a ‘mealier’ texture in your final product. Both ground almonds and almond flour can be found in grocery stores, bulk stores, or online.
A ‘slice’ is a term used mainly in the UK or Australia to describe a small square-shaped baked good. In North America, they are typically referred to as ‘squares’ or ‘bars’.
Almond slice is a baked treat just as happy at a fancy afternoon tea as it is in a lunch box. It comes together quickly with store cupboard ingredients, which makes it easy to enjoy these fuss-free squares any time.
If you like this recipe, you might like:
Biscoff Millionaires ‘Shortbread’
Share your baking!
If you make this slice recipe, be sure to leave a comment. I love hearing from you! Also, if you make this recipe, I’d love for you to share your photos on Instagram! Remember to use the hashtag #bakersbookshelf.
Almond Slice
Equipment
- 8 inch by 12 inch rectangular baking pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- ½ cup almond flour (48g)
- ¼ cup sugar (55 grams)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the Filling
- ½ cup soft butter (113 grams)
- ½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup almond flour (72 grams)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (95 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup raspberry jam (or preferred flavour)
- 1 teaspoon almond essence
- 1 handful slivered or flaked almonds
Instructions
For the Crust
- Make the pastry crust. This needs to be done in advance as the pastry dough needs to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Combine the flour, almond flour and sugar in a medium sized bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter in with just your fingertips until the mixture looks like large bread crumbs. Add the egg and mix everything together with your hand until you form a soft and sticky dough. Grease your baking tin with some butter or spray with cooking spray.Press the dough into the prepared pan until it’s even and comes up the sides just a little bit. Prick the dough a few times with a fork(maybe 10 – 12 times) and cover it with plastic wrap. Pop the pan into the fridge for at least a nhour to allow the pastry to chill.
- After 1 hour, heat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Bake the crust in the oven for 15 – 20minutes until it looks dry and is just beginning to brown. Once baked, place the pan on a cooling rack to cool while you begin to make almond sponge.
For the Sponge
- Put the butter and sugar into a medium bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Next, add the almond flour, all-purpose flour and baking powder and stir until combined. Finally add the almond essence and give everything one last stir.
Putting It All Together
- Spread a generous layer of jam over the pastry base.
- Next, spread the almond batter over the jam. Take your time here to spread it evenly over the jam. Use an off-set spatula if you have one. A knife will also work well. Spread the batter evenly over the jam. You don’t have to worry so much about spreading it right to the edges as the batter will spread a bit during baking.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds liberally over the top and bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until baked and browned on top.
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