Pistachio Almond Bars

For the Bar Base:

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

For the Bar Topping:

• 1 8-ounce packet almond paste
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 cup roughly chopped salted pistachios

To make the Bar Base:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 8-x-8 baking pan with baking spray and then line the pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes on a medium speed.
3. Beat in eggs and extracts, mixing well. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently to get even incorporation.
4. Lower speed and gradually add in flour and salt.
5. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until the edges are slightly golden, set aside.

To make the Topping:

1. In a clean bowl, cut almond paste and brown sugar together like you’d cut butter into a biscuit dough. You can do this with your hands or in a food processor.
2. Once well mixed, beat in egg.
3. Pour on top of the cookie dough base. Top with chopped pistachios.
4. Bake until the top is golden and slightly firm, about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Let bars cool to room temperature before removing from the pan and slicing.