Amendoados
Small crumbly cakes crowned generously with chopped almonds.
- Origin
- Lisbon and Tagus Valley — a family tradition documented since the early nineteenth century
- Region
- Lisbon and Tagus Valley
- Season
- Year-round
Amendoados are small, round, golden-yellow dry cakes with a compact yet very crumbly dough. Each ball is dipped in egg white and coated with coarsely chopped almonds, creating a toasted crown that defines both aroma and texture.
About a bite in size, they were made for a mid-morning or afternoon pause: the almond pieces crack first, then the buttery dough quickly melts away.
- flour
- butter
- sugar
- egg white
- almonds
Buttery and moderately sweet, with a sandy crumb and a crunchy toasted-almond coating.
They vary mainly in size, degree of toasting and the quantity and cut of chopped almonds.
Look for them in traditional pastry shops across Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, especially among makers of regional dry cakes.
Coffee, black tea or cold milk.
Their exact origin is lost, but family manuscripts and the transmission of the recipe between mothers, daughters and daughters-in-law place regional production at least in the early nineteenth century. The craft includes preparing almonds by hand and carefully controlling the oven, which determines colour, crumbliness and keeping quality.
Sources: tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt
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