Cinnamon Almond Bar Cookies

These easy-to-make bar cookies are buttery, crisp, and sturdy enough to hold up well in the cookie packages that our family makes each year. They freeze beautifully, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Since many of our assortment contain chocolate, something that is not particularly desirable in my little branch of the family tree, these pretty bars are all the more satisfying with their rich, nutty, chewy, lemon-glazed goodness.

Cinnamon Almond Bar Cookies

• 6 ounces (1-3/4 cups) thinly sliced  blanched almonds, frozen
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 tsps. cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour

Lemon Glaze

• 1  cup confectioners  sugar
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp. boiling water
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

For Cookies:
Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 300°F.

Butter a 10-1/2 x 15-1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.

Put almonds into a plastic sandwich bag and squeeze and press with your hands to break the nuts into coarse pieces. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the cinnamon and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolk, reserving the white.

On low speed, gradually add flour, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula and beating only until thoroughly mixed.

Distribute large spoonfuls of the dough over the bottom of the buttered pan. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Cover it with a large sheet of waxed paper and press down on the paper with your hands to make a smooth, even layer, or use a straight-sided glass as a rolling pin to roll over the paper. Remove the waxed paper.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white only until is is foamy and slightly thickened. Pour over the layer of dough, and with a pastry brush, spread it to cover the top of the dough.

Using your fingertips, sprinkle the crushed almonds evenly over the egg white. Cover again with waxed paper. With the straight-sided glass, roll over the paper to press the almonds into the dough and then remove the waxed paper.

Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

A minute or so before  removing the pan from the oven, prepare the following glaze:


Glaze
Place the sugar, butter, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until completely smooth. The glaze should be the consistency of heavy cream.

When you remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the glaze unevenly in a thin stream over the top of the cake. It will form a shiny, transparent glaze.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes; the cake will still be warm. With a small, sharp knife, cut around the sides to release and then cut the cake into eighths. With a wide metal spatula, transfer each piece to a cutting board and cut each eighth into quarters. Transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

After several hours, when glaze has set and hardened, freeze, if desired, between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Makes 32.