Chocolate Almond Pretzels

2/3 c Unsalted butter; room temp
1/2 c Almond paste; room temp
1/2 c Granulated sugar
1 lg Egg white
2 ts Almond extract
2 c Flour
Confectioners' sugar for rolling pretzels
1/2 lb Semisweet chocolate; melted

Almond paste:
8 oz Almonds; blanched
1/2 Stick unsalted butter; soft
1 c (heaping) confectioner's sugar
1 Egg white
2 ts Almond extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking pans with parchment or waxed paper. Cream butter and broken-up almond paste with sugar in electric mixer. Add egg white and extract and blend. Add the flour and blend well. Cover bowl and refrigerate one hour or longer. Dust rolling surface with confectioner's sugar. Use a generous teaspoon of dough and roll into a 6-inch rope. Place on baking sheet and form into pretzel shape. Bake about 10 minutes; don't allow to color. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Stir to smooth. Dip half of each pretzel in chocolate, then drain on wire rack with a pan underneath. (Scrape chocolate drippings and re-use.) Store in airtight container.

Almond Paste:

Using the steel blade of the food processor, grind almonds to a fine powder. Add butter in chunks and process to blend. Add sugar; process. Beat egg white stiff with a whisk or electric mixer, then drop into almond paste. Add extract. Process just to blend ingredients. Store paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Almond paste will "ripen" and flavors will develop.

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