Almond Bars

Preheat oven to 325°F. Thoroughly butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the egg yolks until foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to beat until the batter is light and airy. Mix in the almond extract and the lemon zest. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in the flour all at once. Mix Well. Stir in the ground almonds.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Pour the batter into the baking pan. Smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

Allow the cake to cool completely, then cut it into 2 inch bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a spatula. Roll each bar in confectioners' sugar and transfer to a serving plate.

Makes 24 bars