Blackberry Bars

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• For the topping:
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup blackberry jam
• 1/3 cup almond slivers, toasted

Directions

1. For the crust, add the flour and confectioners sugar to a food processor and pulse until they are mixed. Drop in the butter and pulse again, stopping when the pieces are pea-sized. Pour in the milk and pulse just until the dough gathers into a ball. Pat the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan, then chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Move an oven rack to the center and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the baking dish. Scatter the almond slivers onto a baking sheet and toast them until they turn golden, 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Bake the chilled crust until the edges are browned and the surface is only starting to take on color, about 20 minutes.
4. For the topping, whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Add the confectioners sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth, then whisk in the almond extract.
5. Spoon the jam across the parbaked crust and smooth it into an even layer. Drop the egg white mixture over the jam in scattered spoonfuls, so bits of the jam still show. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over everything. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the bars before slicing into 12 pieces. Once cool, place the bars in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 5 days.