A Silver Lining – Almond Fingers

As we approach a year of pandemic quarantining, hand sanitizing, and masks, it is wearing on us all more than ever. We are tired, lonely, and frankly a little depressed. We miss our friends and family and going out to a restaurant for a simple meal. We want to shop without concern, and get back to normal, if there ever was such a thing. We mourn family, friends, and family of friends who have passed or are suffering a severe physical, mental, or economic toll. We are all ready to move on. But despite the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel provided by vaccines, this pandemic is not yet over and we must all remain steadfast in our vigilance.

Despite the awfulness of the pandemic, we can try to be optimistic and view the glass as half full. In the spirit of trying to find a silver lining, we can think about the bright spots in our lives right now. Perhaps you’ve spent more time outside in the last year, discovering natural wonders that you never knew were so close to your home. Maybe you were able to cook more for yourself, learning that is it fun, satisfying, and rewarding. Some may take solace in having been able to clean out their closet, attic, or basement, or otherwise organize their space. Or perhaps you were able to read more, watch movies that have been on your list for years, or start a new hobby.

I, for one, am grateful that my wife and I have been able to become closer with a small group of friends who share our level of COVID precaution and concern. In early fall we began meeting in a park overlooking our local bay. Everyone brought their own chairs, cocktails, and dinner, and often a homemade dessert to share. It quickly became a regular occurrence, usually on a Friday after work. We relished the personal interactions, as during spring and summer we were all locked inside with our own children, and exchanges with others were limited to shopping, picking up takeout, and Zoom. (I am also thankful for the bonus time the spring and summer quarantine granted us to spend with our college-age children.)

As the days grew shorter and the weather colder, we knew it was going to be more difficult to get together. Yet we also understood that our gatherings were something to look forward to; a relaxing time at the end of the week and a lifeline of sanity that we could not let the winter deny us. And so we prepared. We got hand warmers, long johns, blankets, and thicker socks. We ate soups and drank hot chocolate to keep us warm. We got propane heaters and built fires in our backyards, all in the name of allowing us to stay outside while still socializing with friends. We acclimated to the cold. And it’s been fun. A lot of fun. While in the last few months, my feet have gotten cold and my clothes smell like smoke, these informal gatherings have kept me sane during this terrible pandemic. They allowed us to laugh and share stories with real, live people with whom I genuinely enjoy spending time. For that I am thankful.

Of course I miss other friends and family terribly, and I look forward to the day in the not too distant future when we can congregate with them without fear of spreading the virus. But until that time, we’ll keep meeting outside in the park or around the firepit in our yards, sharing each other’s company (and dessert).

Almond Fingers

I recently made these almond fingers to share with our friends around the fire. My father has been making them for years, modified from a recipe in Claudia Roden’s classic A Book of Middle Eastern Food. When I was young, I used to help him roll up the almond and sugar mixture in thin sheets of phyllo dough. With a brush of butter and scented with a bit of cinnamon and orange blossom water (available from a store that sells Middle Eastern goods), they are quite simple to make, but crunchy and sophisticated in flavor and texture.

If you have never worked with phyllo, don’t let it scare you. Unless you can find a Greek store with fresh, buy a frozen box from a reputable source; if it was previously defrosted and refrozen, it will be difficult to work with. Plan ahead and let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Once you open the package, work quickly and cover the sheets you’re not yet up to with a kitchen towel. Phyllo cracks and becomes unworkable as it dries out, and this happens quickly as it is exposed to the air.

This recipe calls for a full, one pound box of phyllo dough, although you may not use every sheet. (It’s awfully hard to get the amounts of filling and wrapper to match exactly.) It can easily be cut in half, especially if the box of phyllo you procure comes in two individually-wrapped packages. Different brands of phyllo dough come in different sizes. Thus, when you cut the dough in thirds, you may end up with different size sheets. This doesn’t particularly matter; you will just end up with a different size pastry. Be sure to adjust the amount of filling and cooking time to the size of your rolls.

About 50 cookies, 45 minutes

1 lb. box phyllo dough, defrosted if frozen

2 cups almonds or shelled pistachios

1 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. orange blossom water

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter, melted

Confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling

1. If frozen, remove the box of phyllo dough from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
2. Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor and grind to a consistency of coarse sand. Add orange blossom water and combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a small pot on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. Set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350 ^oF.
5. Remove sheets of phyllo from the package and lay out flat, long edge of the dough parallel to the edge of the counter. Using a very sharp knife and slicing towards you through all layers, cut the stack of phyllo sheets into thirds. Set aside covered by a kitchen towel.
6. Remove three or four individual sheets, covering the rest, and arrange them next to each other on the counter with the long edge facing away from you, short edge parallel to the edge of the counter. Brush an upside-down capital “T” of butter on each sheet, starting near the bottom and continuing up the middle of the phyllo dough.
7. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling (or more or less, depending on the size of your sheets – it may take a little trial and error to get it right) on the butter at the end of the sheet closest to you. Fold the bottom edge of phyllo away from you over the filling. Fold both long sides about ½ to ¾ of an inch in towards the center. Starting at the bottom where the filling is, roll up the almond finger and place it on a parchment or silicone mat-lined sheet pan, seam side down. Continue stuffing and rolling until all the filling or phyllo dough is used. Almond fingers can be placed close to each other on the sheet pan, but not touching. They will not expand as they cook, but you want the heat of the oven to get around each pastry on all sides to make them crisp.
8. Bake in hot oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on sheet pan, before removing to a serving plate and dusting with confectioner’s sugar with a sifter or fine-mesh sieve.
9. Almond fingers can be stored for several days in an air-tight container.

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