Muscazone Squares

A traditional baked Christmas square, heavy and satisfying. The slices keep for four to six weeks and are brittle only when just baked.

Short dough:
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup (200 g) butter
1/2 cup minus 1 Tbsp (110 mL) demerara sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder

Muscazone filling:
3/4 cup (187 mL) peeled and ground raw almonds
3/4 cup (187 mL) unpeeled coarsely chopped raw almonds
1 1/4 cup (312 mL) demerara sugar
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg grated skin of one unsprayed lemon
2-3 Tbsp (30-45 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
4 egg yolks mixed with 2-3 Tbsp (50 mL) water
butter to grease the baking sheet
1 cup (250 mL) red currant jelly

Knead the flour with the butter, demerara sugar, baking powder and egg yolk to a short dough and set aside in a cool place.

Muscazone filling:
Preheat oven to 370-400°F (180-200°C). Mix all dry ingredients together and then knead with the egg yolk-water mixture.

Set aside about one-third of the dough, enough to roll into thin ropes as well as cut out shapes for decoration. With the remaining dough, line the bottom and sides of a 10-inch by 10 inch (25 cm by 25 cm) greased baking pan. Spread the Muscazone filling evenly over the bottom dough. Spread the currant jelly on top of the filling and then place the rolled short dough in a criss-cross pattern on top of the jelly. The cut-out shapes go on or between the criss-crossed pattern.

Bake for 45-55 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares. This recipe yields about 25 pieces.

Source: alive Magazine (pre-2000)