Almond Shortbread Baked in a Skillet, So Easy, So Good!

You might have to hide this to keep it from disappearing before dinner!  It is that good and that easy.

This recipe became a new favorite with me at first bite.  It is crisp on the outside and a little chewy at the center with the aroma and flavor of almond.  The toasted almonds on top with a sprinkling of sugar makes a just perfect combination, even more so than I had expected!  This is truly a find and it could not have been any easier to make.  I saw Trisha Yearwood make it the other morning on the foodtv channel.  She adapted it from a cookbook she wrote called, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.  My hat is off to her for this one!

Ingredients for Skillet Almond Shortbread:

1 1/2 C. plus 2 T. sugar divided

3/4 C butter melted (1 1/2 sticks)

2 lg. eggs

1 1/2 C. sifted flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. almond extract

1/2 C. sliced almonds with skins

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 10 " skillet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  (I used the foil with one side no-stick finish.)  Set aside.

Melt the butter and mix it with the 1 1/2 C. sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Sift the flour and salt into the batter.  Add the flavoring and stir the batter together well.  Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread evenly.  Batter will be very thick.  Top with the almonds and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake until slightly browned on top, about 35 minutes.

 Cool the shortbread in the skillet completely. After cool lift out in the foil and slide off onto a platter.  Slice using a long sharp knife into wedges to serve.  Yield 10-12 slices.