Skillet Almond Shortbread

It's recipes like these that make my chocolate allergy a walk in the park. Trisha Yearwood's Skillet Almond Shortbread is moist, flavorful, and has the perfect buttery shortbread flavor that's finished off with crunchy toasted almonds.  It will forever hold a special place in my heart and freezer. 

If you have a nut allergy, omit the nuts entirely, it's just as delicious.

Recipe after the jump:

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract ****(I use vanilla extract)

1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the flavoring and stir well. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.

PC: Food Network

Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood