Almond Tea Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons almond essence
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

FILLING:

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Milk
• Sliced almonds

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugars with an electric beater in a bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs and extract; and mix well. Add flour and baking powder. The dough at this point will be soft.
3. Store to chill in refrigerator.
4. For filling, in a small bowl, stir egg white, sugar, almonds and lemon juice. Remove a portion of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place 1-in. balls of dough into miniature muffin cups, pressing slightly into sides and bottom.
5. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling into each. Cover with quarter-sized circles of dough.
6. Brush with a little milk and top with an almond.
7. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
8. Serve warm or cold with tea.