Into a skillet pour sliced almonds (1 cup) and cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently until golden brown and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Process toasted sliced almonds into a food processor or a food chopper until fine. Pour in powdered sugar (1/3 cup) and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.

Into a large bowl pour flour ( 2 and 1 /2 cup), add salt (1/8 tsp). Stir well and set aside.

Into a bowl add room temperature unsalted butter (2 sticks, 230 grams), beat butter until creamy. Then add powdered sugar (2/3 cup) and cream until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Then gradually beat in egg yolks (3). Cream until well combined and smooth about a minute or 2. Beat in Vanilla Extract (1 tsp) and Almond Extract (1 tsp). Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure all is mixed well.

TIP : Don't have egg yolks? Use 1 whole egg.

Into butter mixture pour ground nuts mixture and half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined, then beat in remaining flour mixture.

Gather dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap it well into a food wrap.

TIP : You can roll out dough right away between 2 pieces of parchment or store well wrapped cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before using.

Spray a tart pan with removable bottom or grease it with butter.

Roll out cookie dough between 2 parchment sheets to 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. Slide a cutting board underneath, peel off top parchment. Place a tart pan upside down onto a rolled out dough. Place another cutting board on top of the tart pan and flip it. Peel off parchment and carefully trim the excess dough on the side.

Cut out long strips of dough. Gently press strips of cookie dough onto the sides, Make sure strips are slightly overlapping bottom layer. Clean up the edge, roll a rolling pin across then gather trimmed cookie dough.

Prick the bottom of unbaked tart well with a fork.

BLIND BAKE : line bottom of unbaked tart with a parchment round and fill the lined tart with dry beans, raw rice or pie weights. Bake in the preheated oven at 350F (180C) for 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven. Carefully lift up parchment round and remove dry beans, (CAREFUL, beans are hot!)

SECOND BAKE : return tart to the oven and bake for additional 15 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

TIP : Check on the tart during baking, if you notice center is puffing up use a fork to poke it This will allow steam to escape and it will flatten puffy center.

Allow baked tart to cool for 20-30 minutes. Then carefully remove tart from the pan.

Allow tart to cool completely before filling.