You can serve this double-textured pastry as a bread or dessert. What an elegant addition to a brunch buffet table!

Prep: 10 min - Cook: 10 min - Bake: 1 hr

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Creamy Vanilla Glaze (below)
Chopped nuts


1. Heat oven to 350ºF.

2. Cut 1/2 cup softened butter into 1 cup flour, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over mixture; mix with fork. Gather pastry into ball; divide in half. Pat each half into rectangle, 12x3 inches, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Heat remaining 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.

4. Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.

5. Spread with Creamy Vanilla Glaze; sprinkle with nuts.

Creamy Vanilla Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons warm water or milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

Makes 10 servings

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories 385 (Calories from Fat 215); Fat 24g (Saturated 14g); Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 160mg; Potassium 80mg; Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 5g

Diet Exchange: 2 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat

This recipe displayed with permission from General Mills, Inc.