De Almendra

This recipe hails from "La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 2," published in 1890 by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, a noted Mexican publisher beloved for his affordable pamphlet cookbooks. This series was created for the urban middle classes, bringing sophisticated treats into the home cook’s reach when printed culinary guides were both a novelty and a status symbol. Recipes like this almond sweet show the strong Spanish-Mexican confectionery tradition at the end of the 19th century, when luxurious ingredients like almonds and imported flavors lent a touch of refinement to everyday festivities. The recipe also reflects the influence of convent sweets and colonial-era festive desserts, blending European technique with New World flair.

In the late 19th century, cooks would have used a heavy stone metate or hand-powered mill to grind the almonds to a paste, achieving a remarkably smooth texture by passing the mixture through layers of finely woven cloth (ayates) multiple times. Sifting and mixing would be done with wooden spoons or hands, while perfumes like orange blossom water were precious pantry items. The finished mix might be pressed into decorative molds or served in simple dishes, sometimes dusted with extra cinnamon from hand-ground sticks.