1/2 lb Unsalted butter, chilled and
Cut into bits
3 1/2 c All-purpose flour
3 tb Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 c Raspberry preserves (12 oz)
2 tb Soft butter
2 c Confectioner's sugar
1/4 c Cold water
2 ts Lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chilled butter, 3 cups of the
flour and the sugar and, with your fingertips, rub until the mixture
resembles flakes of coarse meal. Beat in the egg and continue to mix
until the pastry is smooth. Shape it into a ball, wrap it in wax
paper, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until the dough is form.

With the back of a spoon, rub the preserves through a fine sieve set
over a 1-quart saucepan, then cook over moderate heat, stirring
constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they thicken into a thin
puree. Set aside off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 250F. Cut the chilled pastry in half and shape
each half into a rectangle. One half at a time, roll the pastry
between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper into a rectangle
approximately 10 inches wide and 15 inches long. With a pastry
brush, coat each of 2 cookie sheets with 1 tablespoon of butter and
sprinkle them with flour, tipping the sheets from side to side to
coat them evenly. Then invert the sheets and tap them against a hard
surface to dislodge any excess flour. Peel off the top sheets of wax
paper and use the bottom ones to lift the 2 rectangles of pastry onto
the 2 cookie sheets. Peel off the remaining sheets of wax paper. Bake
40 minutes, or until the pastry begins to turn a pale gold. Watch
carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.

With a metal spatula, spread the raspberry puree evenly over one
sheet of the pastry, covering it completely and smoothly. Slide the
second sheet of pastry gently onto the first.

With a spoon stir the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a large
mixing bowl to form a thin paste. Spread the icing over the top layer
of pastry with the spatula, and set the cake aside to cool to room
temperature. With a small, sharp knife or pastry wheel, slice the
Aleksander Torte into strips 1 inch wide and 2 inches long, cutting
the ends on the diagonal.


Yields
48 Servings