Aunt Helen's Almond-Raspberry Rice Squares

An old family favourite! They were sure to show up on the platters of cookies and squares put out by my great-aunts at Christmas, and I always made a bee-line for them. Now I can make them myself. For the pastry, try half a recipe of Marie's French Pie Pastry. (French Pie Pastry)I have made them gluten-free, by using brown rice flour in the pastry, and white rice flour in the topping, which worked out very well.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 36 squares

Ingredients

• 1  pie pastry, to line 9 inch square pan
• 3⁄4 cup  raspberry jam
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup  rice flour
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  cup icing sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  little milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 9" square pan with the pastry. (Not up the sides- just the bottom.) You may wish to line the bottom of the tin with parchment paper first.
3. Spread the jam over the pastry.
4. Cream the butter and sugar.
5. Beat in the eggs and almond extract.
6. Mix in the salt and rice flour.
7. Scrape the batter over the jam, and spread it out carefully and evenly.
8. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
9. Let cool.
10. Cream the remaining butter, and beat in the icing sugar and almond extract.
11. Thin with a little milk until a good spreading consistency is reached; about a tablespoon or so should do it.
12. Spread the icing over the squares, then cut them and remove them from the pan.