MAIDS OF HONOR

Ingredients:
Rich pastry shell 
Egg Yolks - 2
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Almonds - 6 tbsp(ground)
Al purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Lemon rind - 2 1/2 tsp (finely grated)
Heavy cream - 3 tbsp
Raspberry jam - 1/3 cup
Sliced almonds - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly grease miniature muffin tins.Set aside.
• Make one recipe Rich pastry shell (see next post for this recipe). Chill the pastry well, preferably overnight.
• When it is well chilled, roll out the pastry, one half at a time, preferably on a cold surface, until no more than 1/8" thick. (lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin if necessary, but avoid overflouring or pastry may toughen)
• Use a 2 1/2" round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Gently press the soft pastry rounds into the greased muffin tins.
• Beat together the egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, flour, and grated lemon rind.
• Add the cream, and beat until smooth.
• Drop a very small amount of raspberry jam, about 1/4 tsp, into the bottom of each miniature pastry. Spoon on top approximately 1 tsp of almond filling, filling each cup almost to the top.
• Place one or two sliced almonds on top of each one.
• Finally, lightly sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar over all.
• Bake Maids of honor for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Let pastries cool slightly before taking them out of the tins.