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Almond-Honey Squares recipe-15

When I take visitors through those big glass doors of the La Grande Épicerie in Paris, the first stop may very well be the spectacular pastry section, where fanciful cakes wrapped with ribbons of chocolate, or covered with a spun-sugar lattice topping, are proudly displayed in glass showcases like jewels.

Almond Honey Squares

In the corner, less obvious, are the sweets for le grignotages, or snacking. (Which they also call le snacking, in French.) Among the sugar-topped chouquettes and scalloped madeleines, are squares of candied almond-covered shortbread, called miella. Although they don’t grab your eye with the same intensity as the surrounding pastries, they are my favorite thing in the showcase and I am borderline addicted to them. When I point them out to people, they rarely show the same enthusiasm as I do, being more transfixed by the rows and rows of colorful macarons and glossy éclairs. “Tant pis” (tough sh*t, or more politely “too bad”) as they say – more for me!

Almond Honey Squares

Fortunately, I am able to limit my consumption to the occasional trips across Paris, when I feel the need to do some damage at the grandest culinary supermarket in town. Not that I need an excuse to go there, but it’s probably best I don’t have easy access to those caramelized almond-honey squares. (And the three aisles of chocolate bars.) Well, until now.

I was combing through The French Kitchen Cookbook by Patricia Wells, and landed on a similar-looking recipe, though hers contains bits of candied orange. Since I stockpile honey, I am always looking for ways to use it, especially some of the rarer varieties that I’ve collected, now packed in my “honey” cabinet. (Which, for some reason, is also used for storing coffee.) I pulled out the buckwheat honey, which I knew would be the perfect choice for making these squares, where the flavor of a good honey would shine. (You’ll notice mine have a bit of a matt finish because my buckwheat honey is unfiltered. If you use a smooth honey, you’ll get a glossier topping.)

Almond Honey Squares

Patricia recently updated her Food Lover’s Guide to Paris – a book I faithfully toted along with me on my first – and every other – trip to Paris – which is full of her favorite places, sweet and savory. I’ve been thumbing through that as well, admiring the ever-changing face of the culinary scene in Paris, bookmarking places to visit. Of course, La Grande Épicerie is in there, along with pastry and chocolate shops, boulangeries, bistros, and cafés.

But for now, I’m staying put, right at home, since I’ve been making these little crispy-buttery treats, a cross between a cookie and a candy, great with strong coffee. At some point, I’ll need to restock my coffee, and if I keep making these, my honey as well. And I’ve got the guide to get me to the right places. That is, if I can drag myself away from these almond-honey squares.

Almond Honey Squares

Almond Honey Squares

Adapted from The French Kitchen Cookbook by Patricia Wells For best results, you should use a strong, dark honey, such as buckwheat or chestnut. If you have only mild clover or orange blossom honey, the recipe will still work and be just fine, but the honey flavor will be less pronounced. If you can’t get almond powder, you can use blanched sliced almonds (measuring them by weight, not volume) in place of the powder; pulverize them in the food processor along with the other dry ingredients. For more information and tips about using almond powder, check out my post - Almond Flour FAQs.

The crust

  • 1/2 cup (50g) blanched almond powder
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces, 90g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The almond topping

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces, 60g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/3 cup (65g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dark honey, such as buckwheat or chestnut
  • zest of 1 orange, unsprayed
  • scant 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (80g) sliced almonds, preferably blanched
  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
  • Line a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan with aluminum foil, easing it up the insides of the pan. Spray the foil with nonstick spray or lightly grease it with a bit of softened butter.
  • To make the crust, add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the 6 tablespoons (90g) of cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles very coarse cornmeal. Add the egg yolk, water, and vanilla and process until the dough comes together. If it’s too dry, add another tablespoon of water. (You can also make the dough by hand, cutting the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or a fork.)
  • Press the dough into the pan so it covers the bottom evenly. Bake the dough until the top is golden brown, about 12 minutes.
  • While the dough is baking, make the topping by melting the 4 tablespoons (60g) butter in a small saucepan. Once it has melted, add the sugar, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add the sliced almonds, stirring until they’re completely coated with the butter-honey mixture.
  • Scrape the almond mixture onto the still warm baked crust and spread it evenly over the top. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, or until the almond topping is nicely bronzed. Let cool. Remove from the pan by lifting out the foil. Cut into squares or rectangles.

Notes

Storage: The almond-honey squares are best the day they are made, although they will keep for up to three days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Related Recipes

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Toscakaka (caramel almond cake) (Poires au Chocolat)

Chez Panisse Almond Tart

Italian Almond Cookies

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77 comments

    • Jess @ The Baguette Diet

    I have to admit I’m still guilty of being distracted by all the “pretty” desserts after years in France…it’s clearly time to start broadening my horizons!

    • Lucy

    What a delicious idea! Shortbread, honey and almonds – perfect! I’m imagining them warm from the oven with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a little extra honey – or would that ruin the flavour? I guess I’ll just have to find out!

    • Andree-Anne @ singly scrumptious

    Looking good! Do you think I could do the crust without a food processor? (Small flat obliged). And how long do you think they would keep? Can someone living by themselves have time to go through the whole lot before they go bad?

    • Andree-Anne @ singly scrumptious

    Oh sorry, just answered my own question by reading the last 3 lines of your post… my apologies.

    • CoffeeGrounded

    Oh this is So going to happen…perfecto mundo with a cuppa tea, no doubt. :)

    • Christina @ but i’m hungry

    This is exactly the kind of sweet snack that I love… small, simple, tasty. And really, anything with almonds! Yum.

    • Mari @ Oh, Sweet & Savory

    Such a dangerous (but wonderful) thing when one lands on a recipe to make a favorite treat at home! Lucy – I think a dollop of yogurt would be a great accompaniment!

    • Katie

    I got her new cookbook last week and also the Food Lovers Guide — I can’t wait to try the honey almond squares too. I enjoyed reading the tips she included in the Kitchen cookbook that she gives to her cooking students. Also noticed that Le Cafe Marly was on her list of places to try — I was there when I visited the Louvre last year. A tourist thing to do but I loved eating there while looking out at IM Pei’s pyramid! Have you been to Frenchie’s places — I noticed she mentioned all three. Also wondering why she excluded Le Mary Celeste.

    • Katie

    PS — After reading her new cookbook and guide I had to read her’s and her husband’s memoir. Fascinating how they moved to Paris for his career, planned to stay only two years and ended up living here for 34 years! She spoke no French but prospered as a freelance restaurant critic. I loved reading also how they bought and restored their Provence farmhouse. She’s an amazing woman (her husband too). I admit to having almost all of her cookbooks and treasure all of them!

    • Bebe

    David, I believe that our stores call it almond meal (have seen it at Trader Joe’s). Is it correct to assume that this is the same as almond flour? Comes sealed in a clear plastic bag and looks like very finely ground almonds. ??

    • Betty

    Hi David, my favorite way of lining a baking pan with foil is to turn the pan upside down, place the foil over the pan, fold in the corners, remove the foil, upend the pan and insert the foil. Makes for a neat lining.

    • Caroline Richardson

    Love your blog David!
    I stockpile honey too and have been looking for buckwheat honey for ages but to no avail. I live in London but come to Paris and to Le Gers regularly. Any tips where I can find it? My current favourites are oak and chestnut – I like rich dark honey. Caroline

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Curiously, most of the buckwheat honey you find in France is from Canada, although you can find it cultivated by some producers at outdoor markets and other places. Breizh Café and épicerie reliably carries it. A great source of honey is Miellerie Côte des Légendes in Brittany, which will mail order honey. Their buckwheat honey is great, as are their other honeys. They sell it in Paris at La Campanella. (Warning: The site opens with music.)

    • Catherine

    I will admit I stockpile honey, too. Lately been stockpiling honey I get from Quitokeeto, and I think you will know the honey to which I am referring………question here. Could we just use 100% almond meal and make it glutin free? Is there some modification I should make to do this? I have a friend gluten intolerant, and am always looking for recipes I can serve when she is over.

    Thanks, David, look forward to a pan of these this weekend.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      You might want to try one of the gluten-free flour mixes out there. I haven’t used them, but they might be a good swap out. You can also make your own gluten-free flour mix; I’ve seen recipes online for that. I would not use 100% almond meal because you need to gluten (or a flour mix that resembles gluten) to hold the crust together.

    • Elizabeth Good

    These sound very reminiscent of your almond tart,which is also very addictive and make at least once a month.
    Just got her book, “How to cook with truffles”, after a successful truffle hunt in Oregon.
    Love the way she talks and writes about food, got several lovely ideas out of it.

    • cheri

    I just adore desserts like this, Paris sounds so lovely, someday!

    • ItalianGirlCooks

    Half candy, half cookie, simple to make, nice ingredients = a tasty treat/snack or even a dessert. Thanks!

    • Minnesota Red

    So what I’m hearing is that one should eat the entire pan the “day of”. I can do that. Thanks!

    • Kate

    You’d never find me near the macarons — I live for anything with almonds and honey. This reminds me so much of a Bienenstich, my favorite pastry of all time. Now that the only baker in my town who made it moved to greener pastures, I’m going to have to try my hand at this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!

    • Gloria

    Interesting that much of French buckwheat honey is actually from Canada … since I’m in Toronto, I must use these squares as an opportunity to go to the market to pick up some homegrown honey!

    • Andi

    Sounds similar to Almond Tarts from Downtown Bakery in Healdsburg, yes?

    • Christina

    These sound perfect for any occasion. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for a cookie (craziness) or muffin, but I still want a sweet snack. I bet the candied almond topping is insanely delicious.

    • Marguerite

    I must admit to being one of those who overlooked these delights in favor of the pretty faces in LGE’s pastry showcases. Never again — these are so good! I made a batch immediately after reading this post. The trick of pulverizing the almonds with the dry ingredients worked well since I didn’t have almond flour. I used some lavander honey that I had brought back from Provence. Only change next time I make these is to bake the crust on a lower rack in the oven and make sure it’s well browned before the nut topping goes on. My crust was soft and a little raw inside (but I barely let it cool before tyring).

    • Alex H.

    Hello!

    These look wonderful! When I read the recipe, I immediately thought of a Chez Panisse Almond Tart. These seem like they might be an easier, faster version (maybe minus crackly top)? I am currently obessesed with making desserts in individual ring molds– hoping these would work well in that application!

    Merci for all the great posts; I feel like I’ve been to Paris twice this week instead of at work in my cubicle! :)

    • Annabel

    Is almond flour what is sold as “ground almonds” here in the UK? I will assume it is. I love shortbread, and that topping sounds to die for….

    • Dina

    David, this reminds me of the Chez Panisse almond tart :)

    • Laura M

    David, this sounds perfect for what I can eat right now… IF there’s a way to substitute something for the sugar. (Any hope for that? Stevia?)

    Un grand merci to Marguerite for commenting AFTER you’ve made the recipe. I’m always looking for comments from people who’ve actually tried to make or bake the recipe. (Or have a question, as I do here.)

    Merci beaucoup d’avance.

    • Lisa

    O, buckwheat honey. It has been a long time since I have that type. Those look tasty.

    • Ileana

    A honey cabinet! I think I should have one of these, too. :)

    • katy

    I’ve suddenly been finding myself craving all things French and these look like they won’t disappoint. Thank you for the inspiration! I think I’ll bake them this weekend with some Edith Piaf playing in the background, a glass of Lillet in my hand and just give in to my inner Francophilia.

    • Bebe

    Must second Betty on the ease of forming the foil over the flipped over (bottom) of the pan, then placing this neat foil box inside the pan.

    I use the Release foil (you have to remember to put the Release side where it will be the inside surface of your pan). No messy greasing of pans. It is great stuff for brownies and bar cookies like these. When they are baked, you lift the whole thing out. I store leftovers in the same pan-lining foil.

    • Maui Girl Cooks

    These sound delicious! I love almonds & baking, so will definitely give these a try.

    • Lina

    I made these for dessert tonight and they were awesome. Thanks for the great recipe, they are going in the rotation!

    • Tracy | Pale Yellow

    Simple baked good are usually the best; honey and almonds sound amazing together.

    • Beth Bromfield

    Will definitely try this one. You don’t happen to have a recipe for croquettes de bordeaux, do you? They sell them at La Boulange here in San Francisco and I would like to make some. I’ve looked online with no success.

    • Colette

    David I can no longer be silent about your translations which slip in now and then and let you know that, in my opinion, you do have the habit of mangling the french language. ‘Tant pis’ could hardly be translated as ‘tought sh*t’. Maybe you should verify some of these translations with the mother of Romain who may be more gentille. I think these supposed translations that you slip in now and then speak volumes about your day to day language than the language of the french.

    Otherwise thanks for what used to be an interesting blog but sometimes now makes me click off very quickly.

      • Laura M

      Colette, je suis d’accord avec vous… translating ‘tant pis’ in such a vulgar manner is not only inaccurate, but obviously speaks to how David expresses himself (in English) with his friends.

      A further danger lies in these bad translations, because, to judge by the comments, many if not most of the readers of this blog do not live in Paris (or France), but simply visit, and so could be misled into believing that ‘tant pis’ is not polite language.

      ‘Pis’ is simply the superlative of ‘mal’ (bad). The comparative of mal/mauvais is ‘pire’ (worse), and thus the superlative is ‘pis’ (worst). It’s often translated as ‘so much the worse’ [understood, ‘for you, for him/her/them’].

      (I’m a French=>English translator, and I usually render it as ‘too bad’.)

    • heather machin

    i live in a honey paradise down here in new zealand. my favourites are from these guys, actually i love them all. hoping a link in these comments is permitted? i am not connected to then in a business way, other than buying their honey all the time! and yes, i have a stockpile myself…..
    http://www.nzartisanhoney.co.nz/index.php

    • kellie@foodtoglow

    Although I am not a huge fan of sweet I always look forward to reading your blog, even though I know I will probably not make many of the recipes. But. But. This looks absolutely perfect to make and prettily package (in a patisserie box perhaps) for my sweet-toothed father-in-law for his upcoming 80th. Still his own teeth too ;-). Thanks for this. C’est maqnifique.

    • june2

    This is my favorite type of snack – rich crumbly shortbread and sweet crispy almonds, yes!

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    bebe and betty: I do that too. In my Altoid Brownie recipe, I showed how to do it with some pictures.

    Colette and Laura: In English, people do say that phrase often using the s-word. I chose to block that out because I don’t write that way or use those words on the blog or in print. But that is a common way to say “too bad.” And I even hear it used on television nowadays. The s-word isn’t considered nearly as loaded as the F-word, which I see more-and-more used in print in France and I’m surprised folks don’t seem too upset with seeing it used in store windows, in magazines…and even a French culinary festival uses it to publicize their dinners. (I’ve never imagined that word would be used in conjunction with any cuisine, French or otherwise. But it’s interesting that it doesn’t seem to provoke any reactions.)

    Beth: Am not precisely sure what those are but if they are the thin, wispy crisps with almonds or hazelnuts, I have a recipe in my book Ready for Dessert for croquantes (if that’s what you are thinking of.) (I love those too!) I did a Google image search and mostly what came up were deep-fried fritters though, that looked savory. So perhaps that’s what you were thinking of?

    Laura: I’ve never used stevia (except in liquid form, for sweetening kava, in Hawaii – which is another story…) but have no experience baking with it. The sugar in this recipe melts and caramelizes over the top and I don’t think alternative sweeteners do that, unfortunately.

    Marguerite: Glad you liked the recipe. Yes, it’s easy to get swayed by the flashy, pretty desserts, when the simplest ones are often terrific as well. I usually bake things in the middle of the oven, since a lot of home ovens have intense heat on the bottom. But happy you want to make it again!

      • Beth Bromfield

      Hi David,

      I looked at your recipe, not the same thing. I found a recipe for “croquet Bordelais” that looks like it might be it. Will try and let you know. Beth

    • John

    Perfect! Not one to be beguiled by outward appearances, I’ve always preferred homely over extravagantly composed deserts. I made these this morning with the clover honey I had on hand–no honey cupboard here, unfortunately–and ate half the pan in one sitting with a cup or two of coffee.

    PS I’m sorry to read that people who’ve never met you are making assumptions about your everyday use of English and French based on your loose translation of “tant pis.” I’m sure you’re très gentil and not vulgar in the least!

    • Bridgit

    How lovely! These will be perfect on the dessert buffet, late night after the Easter vigil. The whole almonds/fertility/life thing, plus Hebrew scripture honey references make these about as perfect as can be I might make them w a GF mix, just in case someone stops by in need of such. Thanks for sharing!

    • Katie

    David, I noticed you said Patricia’s recipe used bits of candied orange peel and you replaced it with orange zest. Did you feel the candied orange peel would be too sweet or used the zest because that is what you had in hand?

    • Cat

    David could have translated the French phrase as “tough cookies” but then he’d be criticized for sounding like a 75 year old sweet and sassy grandma. ;-)

    • Gill Catterall

    Hi
    These look good, I’ll make them for my next ‘bee group’ meeting, where I am learning all about bee-keeping and we take it in turns to take a cake made with the honey our teacher gathers from her bees. Mainly sunflower and fruit tree blossom honey, I think. Not far from the truffle town of Lalbenque which I think you know.

    As for the vulgar translation of ‘tant pis’, I would translate it the same way. I was once in a restaurant at lunch time with my ma in law on the way to take her to the airport. We weren’t in a tearing hurry, but had been forgotten and eventually I asked the maitress d’ (very poilitely), if she could speed things up for us to get served. She just said ‘tant pis’ and walked off. To me that just said ‘tough shit’. I’ve never been back.

    • April

    David, I’ve always wondered why some recipes using sliced almonds choose to specify whether they’re blanched or not. Is it simply aesthetic? Personally I sort of prefer the aesthetic of the brown edges on unblanched ones — dunno why, they just seem more “almondy” to me. So apart from appearances, just curious if I’m missing a particular subtlety.

    ps: I love the humor & personality reflected in your writing, including translations

    • johanna

    i just love this kind of dessert/snack–your recipes are so great!!
    i can’t wait to get some good honey for this-

    i see you are going to be at Lucques for a book signing soon, my favorite restaurant (and chef Suzanne Goin)!
    i hope i can make it-i will be driving down from the North Bay Area if so!
    i would love to have a signed copy of one of your books and meet you-

    • J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats

    With fancy desserts coming out all the time like cronuts and those chocolate chip cookie shot glass things its easy to forget how simple things done right like shortbread cookies or an unfussy almond honey bar can be fantastic as well :)

    • Angel Reyes

    This looks amazing!!! I will try it ASAP!

    • Wendy

    David, another fabulous treat that I am compelled to try this weekend! I love buckwheat honey and keep it in my pantry, as it has a lot of health benefits! The little jar of honey you posted is beautiful! I wish it were in my pantry! Thanks David!!!

    • Steve Martin

    If you could wrap those in bacon, deep fry them, and then dip them in chocolate…you’d really have something.

    (not sure what…)

    • kirti

    Hello David,
    I am Kirti from Pune India, I love your blog , though I don’t try all your recipes since I am a vegetarian and I do not get most of the ingredients but I enjoy your writing and it is like a tour of Europe and USA for me through food, It’s getting very hot here in India and I tried your coconut saffron ice cream (I have a coconut tree in my backyard) sans the ice cream machine, turned out yum! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with novices like me!

    • Alex

    Nice recipe. I love any thing to do with almonds and these look absolutely scrumptious. I would love these now with a cup of tea :)

    • Debjani

    Hi David,
    Last night I tried out this recipe and it was simply yum. However my crust did not firm up and while cutting out the squares it crumbled up. I would like to try once again but would like to know what possibly had gone wrong with this one. Can you help?
    Also what is un sprayed orange zest?
    Thanks.

      • Laura M

      It hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals (pesticides)? That’s my best guess.

      I look forward to David’s response about what may have gone wrong with your crust!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Did your dough look like mine in the photo? Mine came out fine, so if it looks different, perhaps the ingredients weren’t measured right. Unsprayed means that it hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals – such as labeled organic or “unsprayed.” (Some farmers don’t use chemicals but in certain places, you have to pay a fee to be certified organic. So they’ll list their produce as “unsprayed.”)

        • Laura M

        Debjani —

        This is just a stab in the dark, but did you possibly forget to “bake the dough until the top is golden brown, about 12 minutes” before you poured in the honey-butter-almond mixture? I’ve occasionally skipped over steps in recipes, even ones I know well (once I forgot to add the flour to my cheesecake batter until after it had been in the oven for 10 minutes!), and so please don’t take offense at my suggestion.

        P.S. David, the reason I asked for a possible sugar substitute is that I always give up sugar for Lent, and so I plan to make these on Easter Sunday, or immediately thereafter. Can’t wait!

    • Andrea

    David… These look like a great idea for Passover except for the flour. What do you think about using matzo cake meal instead? I like to try different desserts to make it go faster.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I don’t know how that would work without trying it. But if you do try it, let me/us know how it works out as others would likely be interested in knowing, too.

    • Juanita

    I made these yesterday. They are delicious. I will make them again when my kids are coming home. They will disappear in a minute!

    • michlhw

    Hi David,

    I’m salivating just looking at those perfect squares! Do you think i can make the dough in advance and store it in the fridge for a day or two? i want to bake these fresh for guests but i’m a very messy baker and my kitchen always looks like.. to learn some french from you, “Tant pis” and it’s no good to have delicious cookies when your home looks like a wreck.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Yes, the dough will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.

    • Jean | DelightfulRepast.com

    Aah, David, we could hit the patisserie together and fight over the last miella! The colorful macarons and chocolate-covered items don’t appeal to me at all; would much rather choose from le grignotages! Your miella look perfect. I’m picturing myself having one with a cup of Darjeeling.

    • Lori

    Thank you for a perfect recipe, David. I made these for a co-worker’s birthday today. He doesn’t like cake or chocolate but enjoys shortbread. Everyone enjoyed it and this hit all of his happy notes. Someone else declared it to be “evil good” without being rich.

    • Katya

    Made these today. Amazing! Love the texture and sweet-salty-orangy taste :) Definitely will be making them again.

    • Tallybalt

    I just made this and had a few pieces. I do like it. Very much.

    But a few notes for those who are interested in making it, it’s not very sweet. Actually, it’s barely sweet at all. The honey is important for if you use a generic honey it’ll probably come out tasting a bit anemic, it’s the stronger honey that provides the “finish.” If you only have generic honey you want to use up, then try adding a few tablespoon of brown sugar for a stronger flavor.

    If you use preground almond meal (as I did, where I live I can get 100g of ground almonds for the equivalent of 1 euro) you may want to add a tsp or two of almond extract for a stronger almond flavor in the base. Preground almond that’s been sitting around can lose some of the delicate almond flavor.

    I will make this again but I will probably increase the amount of sugar for something slighter sweeter and add almond extract to the base, but that’s personal preference.

    • Debra

    Made these, and they were great! Plenty sweet, lots of great flavor. Two small things: the topping did not stay adhered to the crust and would sometimes flake off; also no way I could get 32 cookies from this — 20 cookies is about what I got. Making it again today. Great recipe, thanks so much!

    • stella

    I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! I also have an under-utilized honey collection from my travels and general obsession with the stuff. :)

    • susie

    Just made these with a chestnut honey that I picked up in haute savoie last summer. They were wonderful–not too sweet, nutty, a fantastic texture, but I think the honey might have been almost too strong (does this make me a honey philistine?). Will try them next time with either a buckwheat or greek honey to see if they seem slightly less over-powering. Otherwise, another stellar recipe that worked out perfectly and couldn’t have been easier. Thanks!

    • Viktoria

    At first glance, the squares very much reminded me of our German Mandel-Butterkuchen (a spongy or yeasty cake topped with caramelized sliced almonds) which is sometimes filled with vanilla cream (‘Bienenstich’). I never liked them particularly: too sweet and sticky. But I gave this recipe a try – after all it’s made with a sablee bottom. I am so glad I tried it out, it’s fabulous. I used unblanched almond meal which gave the squares a nice rustic taste. And I loved that it is not overly sweet. I ate it for breakfast, too. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    • jenny

    David, wow! I am clearing out a terrible pile of email after a vacation in paradise, and your newsletter was a nice treat. Unbelievable as it seems, these exact cookies were served with our complimentary coffee one morning while we were vacationing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico last week. I adored them and immediately complimented them to the staff/ate several/attempted to analyze the probably ingredient components for a future endeavor to make them once I returned home. You’ve saved me all the trouble of baking and tweaking to get what I want again. I will be bookmarking these for my cookie-baking later this week. It’s lovely to hear that you also collect honey. I think I have just the thing….

    • Gill Catterall

    Thanks for this recipe. I made it for last week’s meeting of my Bee Group, using the honey from the hives we are learning about. Everyone loved it and I passed on the recipe and your web site details. I’ll make it again often, I am sure.

    • Marie

    Hi David!
    I follow your blog and I love it so much! I enjoy cooking and I’ve tried a lot of your recipes…they turned out fantastic! I just finish this one and the squares are to die for!
    Thank you kindly!

A

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