Rosquitas De Almendra

This recipe hails from a 1905 family manuscript in Toluca, Mexico, one of several hand-written cookbooks passed lovingly down the generations. Written in elegant calligraphy, these manuscripts offer a fascinating window into the upper-middle class Mexican domestic kitchen at the turn of the 20th century. The Rosquitas de Almendra are a festive treat, likely served at special gatherings or holidays alongside other Iberian-influenced sweets. Ingredients such as almonds, anisette, and the use of wafer paper speak to the culinary blending of Spanish, indigenous, and even French traditions that define Mexican family cooking from this era.

Back in 1905, the almonds would have been ground by hand using a stone metate or a suribachi-style mortar and pestle. The sugar was likely pounded fine with a molino or even wrapped in a towel and smashed. Mixing and shaping were all done by hand or with a sturdy wooden spoon, and the soft dough would have been set onto thin, edible wafer paper (obleas) to keep them from sticking to baking sheets, often made of tin or enameled iron. Baking was done in a wood-fired or coal oven, requiring skill to manage a steady, moderate heat. For icing, a simple bowl and spoon sufficed, and ground cinnamon was likely measured by the practiced pinch of the home baker.