Marzipan Bars

Source: C and H Sugar Kitchen

Filling:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, unsifted
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds, ground
1 egg white
2 tablespoons water

Combine sugar and ground almonds and mix thoroughly. Add egg white and mix. Stir in water to thick consistency. Set aside.

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, unsifted
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder and sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until evenly distributed. Mix vanilla extract with egg; stir into flour mixture. Set aside 3/4 cup dough. Press remaining dough evenly into 13 x 9-inch pan. Spread marzipan over dough. Form remaining dough into 1/2-inch strips and arrange in large lattice pattern over filling. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into 36 bars (about 2 x 1 1/2 inches).