Recipe: Apple-Almond Pastries

Apple-Almond Pastries
Source: Jo Anne Merrill

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup apples, sliced thin
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons almonds, sliced
3 tablespoons apricot or peach preserves

Sift the 1 1/3 cup flour with the salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the solid margarine or butter with pastry blender until mixture is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 4-5 tablespoons water, a little at a time, over the flour while stirring with a fork, until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. Form into a square and flatten to 1/2 inch. Roll out on floured surface to 12 inch square. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Toss sliced apples with 1 tablespoon of flour. Place slices down center third of dough. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over apples. Fold up about 1/2 inch at each end. Fold sides over apples, leaving an inch of apples showing down center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Spread immediately with preserves. If preferred, omit the preserves and frost with a thin glaze made of powdered sugar thinned with milk and vanilla or orange extract.