Cinnamon Bars

Ingredients

• 10 oz almond paste
• 5 oz confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg white
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon
• 0.67 cup confectioners' sugar (for frosting)
• 1 egg white (for frosting)

Method

Mix the almond paste, 280 g confectioners' sugar, egg white, and cinnamon until fully combined. The almond paste will resist at first — keep working it until you have a smooth, cohesive mass. This is the same principle as almond-based confectionery like marzipan: the fat in the paste needs to be evenly distributed with the egg white binding everything together into a putty. The cinnamon dissolves into the crumb as you work it, rather than staying as flecks.

Dust a work surface generously with caster sugar and knead the mixture lightly — just enough to make it supple and less sticky. Shape it into a block, then roll it out to exactly 6 mm thick using a rolling pin. Aim for a rectangle roughly 10 cm wide. Keep the edges as even as you can; they'll cook more quickly than thicker sections, and you want consistency across the batch.

Make the frosting by whisking the second egg white with 185 g confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form — the mixture should hold its shape on the whisk. This egg white functions as both binder and aerating agent; the proteins denature as you whisk, trapping air that keeps the frosting light rather than dense and pasty. Spread it evenly over the rolled almond mixture using a palette knife or the back of a spoon.

Cut the bars immediately while the frosting is still soft. Use two knives as described: position one at your cut line and use the other to make clean, single strokes on either side of the blade. This technique prevents dragging the frosting and keeps the edges sharp. Work quickly — as the frosting begins to set, it'll smear. Transfer each strip to a baking tray lined with baking parchment (or greased and floured, if you prefer the older method).

Bake at 160°C for 20 minutes on the middle shelf. The bars are done when the almond base is pale golden at the edges and the frosting is set but not coloured — it should feel firm to the touch but still slightly yielding inside. These are best eaten within a day; the almond base will harden as it cools and sits.