Gourmet Danish Bitty Almond Cakes

the80srule's Note:

NOTE: you need muffin and/or mini-muffin pans to do this! From a cooking magazine, this is a delicious taste of Copenhagen that makes a lovely finger food dessert for dinner parties and high teas. (Or in my case, getting drunk with my friends watching The Golden Girls.) For the almond paste, I recommend Scandinavian Style Almond Paste rather than storebought. Since I use a convection oven, I had to adjust the time downward. Yields about 24 mini-muffin sized cakes.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 24.0 mini-mu ...

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
• ½ tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus additional for dusting molds)
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (I used normal organic azucar and worked fine)
• 2 tablespoons almond paste (not marzipan)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (1/8 vanilla and 1/8 almond also works nicely)
• 1 large egg
• confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in upper third notch of oven (in my case gigantic toaster) and preheat to 400°F.
2. Brush molds of the muffin tins with melted butter and lightly dust with flour, (I used a teeny coffee scooper for this) knocking out excess flour.
3. Stir together the flour (3 tablespoons) and salt in a small bowl.
4. Beat together softened butter and granulated sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy.
5. Beat in almond paste and vanilla until combined well, then beat in egg until combined.
6. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
7. Divide batter among muffin tin cups.
8. Bake cakes until just firm and edges are golden, about 10-15 minutes.
9. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely, about 5 minutes. Turn cakes right side up and dust tops with confectioners sugar just before serving.