Cascais Almond Fingers

Also known as: Cascais Almond Fingers

Almond-cake fingers cut and returned to the oven.

Origin: Cascais · commercial specialty documented in the early 20th century
Place: Cascais
Region: Lisbon
Category: Cakes & Sweet Breads
Season: Year-round
Evidence: Well documented

Sweetness

Richness

Difficulty

Palitos de Amêndoa de Cascais begin as a low slab cake made with eggs, sugar, flour, raising agent, lemon and ground almonds. Sliced almonds cover the surface before the first bake.

The slab is then cut into long narrow strips and returned to the oven to dry. The result sits between cake and biscuit: light and porous within, toasted at the edges, crisp and covered in almonds.

Ingredients

Eggs
Sugar
Flour
Raising agent
Lemon zest
Ground almonds
Sliced almonds

Taste & texture

Dry and crisp with a light crumb, toasted almond and a fresh lemon note.

Variations

Finger width and the degree of the second bake vary; drier versions keep longer and call for a drink alongside.

Where to try it

Cascais FoodLab documents their sale at Mercado da Vila. Availability can vary, so check with traditional-sweet producers and stalls.

Pairs well with

Coffee, lemon tea or fortified wine, into which the finger can be dipped.

History

Alberto Pimentel included Palitos de Amêndoa among the specialties of Casa Faz-Tudo in his portrait of Cascais published in 1902. Cascais FoodLab also notes the sweet's commercial continuity at the local market, where one seller has offered it for more than forty years.

Cutting and rebaking link them to other keeping biscuits, but their form and historic association with the town establish their Cascais identity.

Documentary basis

Well documented

3 sources

Identity supported by institutional, specialist or corroborating sources.

How we assess sources and uncertainty →

Well documented

Pastries from here — Lisbon

Amendoados

Azeitão Almond Meringues

Cascais Sands

Arroubo Grape-Must Preserve