Meals on Heels Vol. 2 - Almond Torte

I know that you are looking at this thinking that this must be the most boring recipe in the world.  There are, after all, a mere six ingredients.  SIX!  What kind of masterpiece can be crafted from six simple seemingly innocuous ingredients?  Hold on to your fascinators.  This may blow them away.

I first had this torte from the hands of my Mother's friend, Kristin, who paid a visit and left this in her wake.  In her wake, she left a legacy.  This torte is unlike any other.  A sort of hybrid between marzipan and madeleine cookies, the dense chewiness offers its own textural enjoyment while the crunch of the abundant almond slices satisfies and invigorates the senses.

The best part of this recipe is that from taking ingredients out of my cupboard to sliding the torte into the oven, less than ten minutes passes.  This is shocking, I know.  What adds to the shock and awe of this mighty torte is that it cooks in twenty five minutes, and actually tastes better a day after (as discovered by my sister and me this morning...).

One must actually take precautions when making this torte.  I must forewarn single women making this in the company of men:  My recipes must never be used to tease or taunt.  Men are very vulnerable creatures, filled with hidden insecurities and secret hopes.  When they try this they will be reminded of their Mothers and feel exorbitantly close to you.  Don't use this as a weapon.   

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup melted butter

1 cup sliced almonds

2 eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract (no imations...often imitated never duplicated) 

Making the Masterpiece:
Combine all the ingredients except for the almonds, mixing as little as possible.  Pour batter into a nine-inch round greased pan (I use a spring form).  Sprinkle almonds on top and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do not overbake.  The torte should be soft in the middle.

 I love the addition of fruit to complement the torte.  Summer peaches pair nicely with this.  Really this torte is like Ryan Gosling:  It goes well with everything.   

I have made this torte in a variety of shapes and sizes, each serving its own purpose.  I use mini muffin molds when I want guests to have easy grab-and-go access, mini spring form pans about 5 inches wide make darling little tortes, and are perfect for dropping to a friend who couldn't (and shouldn't) eat an entire full size torte.  

I adore the abundance of almonds on this torte.  The almonds are crucial to the recipe.  There have sadly been times in the past when I lacked sliced almonds and tried to replace them, or commit a light sprinkling of almonds.  It wasn't the same.  The bountiful sprinkling of almonds suggests a certain opulent abundance that makes friends feel taken care of.  It is comforting to see almonds fall overboard with the adroit thrust of a knife, and still have a sliver draped in nuts.  

If you have any food categories you are interested in seeing me do let me know in the comments.  **Spoiler alert** for those of you wondering where the heels are in this series, you will be seeing them in action on VIDEO next week.  Bon appetit!