ALMOND PUFF LOAF

Steps:

• FIRST LAYER: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, flour, and salt (if you're using it), working the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork, your fingers, or a mixer.
• Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in the water. The dough will become cohesive, though not smooth.
• Divide the dough in half; if you're using a scale, each half will weigh about 4 5/8 ounces.
• Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet dough into a rough log.
• Grease a baking sheet or sheets that'll allow you to stretch and pat the logs into 11 x 3-inch rectangles on the sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (but preferably 6 inches) between them, and 2 inches on each side. These puff up in the oven (hence the name), and you need to leave them room for expansion.
• SECOND LAYER: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil.
• Stir until the butter melts, then add the flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once.
• Stir the mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves the sides of the pan; this will happen very quickly.
• Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until the dough loses its "slimy" look, and each egg is totally absorbed.
• Mix in the almond extract.
• Divide the batter in half.
• Spread half the batter over one of the dough strips on the pan, covering it completely.
• Repeat with the remaining batter and dough.
• With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread the batter until it completely covers the entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it out as best you can.
• Bake the pastry in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown.
• Remove it from the oven, and transfer each pastry to a wire rack (a giant spatula works well here).
• TOPPING: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.)
• Sprinkle the toasted almonds atop the jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is all part of the plan.
• ICING: Stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a thick but "drizzlable" icing. Drizzle the icing atop the pastries.
• Cut into squares or strips to serve.