Almond Mazurek

According to Polish custom, Christmas Eve vigil opens the holiday season.
The family gathers to share an evening meal of seven to 21 courses.

A typical menu consists of herring and pickled mushrooms, clodnik
(cucumber beet soup), pike with horseradish sauce, baked sauerkraut with yellow
peas, rutabagas with carrots, and fried fish with lemon rings. For dessert,
celebrants might enjoy an Almond Mazurek, like this one from a recipe by
Rita Montgomery, an American-born Dallasite of Polish descent.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen 2-inch squares

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup beaten eggs (about 3 large eggs)
2 cups blanched, chopped almonds
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted before measuring
1 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup apricot jam

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and eggs. Mix almonds, flour, and
sugar in another bowl. Add slowly to egg and butter mixture, beating after
each addition. Pat or roll dough into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake 20
minutes until golden. Spread jam over top and cool. A jelly roll pan
produces a thin crust. If a cakelike texture is preferred, bake crust in a
9-by-4-inch pan.

The glaze below may be used instead of apricot jam. Or you can make half
the glaze recipe and drizzle it over the jam. Top with shaved, toasted
almonds, if desired.

Almond Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
enough milk to dissolve sugar, starting with 2 tbs
1/2 cup shaved almonds for garnish, toasted dry in a 300-degree oven