Alexandertorte

Also called Aleksander Torte. Raspberry-filled pastry strips.

Ingredients

 * ½ lb (225 g) unsalted butter, chilled, cut in bits
 * 3½ cups (840 ml) flour
 * 3 tbsp (45 ml) sugar
 * 1 egg
 * 1½ cups (360 ml) raspberry preserves (12 oz)
 * 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter, softened
 * 2 cups (480 ml) confectioner's sugar
 * ¼ cup (120 ml) cold water
 * 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice

Directions

 * 1) 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.
 * 2) Beat in the egg and continue to mix until the pastry is smooth.
 * 3) Shape it into a ball, wrap it in wax paper, and refrigerate 1 hour, or until the dough is firm.
 * 4) 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 purée.
 * 5) Set aside off the heat.
 * 6) Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).
 * 7) Cut the chilled pastry in half and shape each half into a rectangle.
 * 8) 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.
 * 9) 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.
 * 10) Then invert the sheets and tap them against a hard surface to dislodge any excess flour.
 * 11) 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.
 * 12) Peel off the remaining sheets of wax paper.
 * 13) Bake 40 minutes, or until the pastry begins to turn a pale gold.
 * 14) Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.
 * 15) With a metal spatula, spread the raspberry purée evenly over one sheet of the pastry, covering it completely and smoothly.
 * 16) Slide the second sheet of pastry gently onto the first.
 * 17) With a spoon stir the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a large mixing bowl to form a thin paste.
 * 18) Spread the icing over the top layer of pastry with the spatula, and set the cake aside to cool to room temperature.
 * 19) 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.