Amêndoas da Páscoa

The story

Amêndoas da Páscoa, sugar-coated Easter almonds, are among the oldest Easter rituals in Portugal. The Michelin Guide's account of Portuguese Easter traditions links them to the egg as a symbol of rebirth, and in Portugal almonds still hold a more traditional place at Easter than chocolate eggs.

The custom that keeps them going is the godparents' gift. It is customary for godparents to give their godchildren Easter almonds, and in many regions the same godparents also give a folar, the Easter bread that marks the return of plenty after the Lenten fast. Easter Sunday falls on March 28, 2027, and the almonds are bought or made in the days before.

Shop almonds come from confectioners: at the Pérola da Ilha factory in the Azores, Observador reported in 2024, each batch takes about 10 hours in copper pans. Portuguese families also make a quicker kind in a skillet: almonds, sugar and water are stirred until the water boils away, the syrup crystallizes into a sandy coat, and part of it melts again into a thin caramel crust. A recipe of this kind appears among the family Easter recipes collected by Time Out Lisboa.

Make a batch a week ahead and pack it in small bags or jars for Easter baskets or as favors at each place setting.