Aleksander Torte (Raspberry-Filled Pastry) Recipe

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.