Sugar cookie mix almond bars

I usually don’t like buying cookie mix or cake mixes since they never have the flavor that we get when baking from scratch. But with this cookie bar, it is a bit different. The main flavor and taste comes from the almond paste topping and the fruit preserves. The cookie dough was used just as a base to hold the almond paste bar. This came out really good and the almond flavor was amazing. I took this recipe from better homes and gardens website (http://www.bhg.com) and modified according to my liking.

Ingredients:

1 17 ½ oz package sugar cookie mix
2 oz cold butter
4 oz cream cheese
½ cup sliced almonds toasted and finely crushed
2/3 cup raspberry fruit preserves (or raspberry jam)
8 oz almond paste
¼ cup sugar
1 medium egg
2 tablespoons ground almond
drop of green food coloring
3 tablespoons milk
½ cup sliced almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add parchment paper to a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan and grease with butter. Set aside.
In a large bowl with a pastry blender cut butter and cream cheese into cookie mix until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add finely chopped almonds and combine together.
Reserve 1 cup of mixture. Spread the remaining mixture evenly on the cookie sheet and press gently. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes

In a small bowl stir the fruit preserves to loosen up
In a large bowl with an electric beater, beat egg lightly. Crumble almond paste and mix with beaten egg.
Add sugar, ground almonds, and green food coloring and beat well. Beat in milk one tablespoon at a time until mixture is spreadable.
Once cookie crust is done, spread fruit preserves evenly to within ¼ inch of the edge.