When I make a pie, I sprinkle any remaining pastry scraps with cinnamon and sugar, and then bake until light browned. These scraps are good, but I found a hundred-year-old recipe for Almond Strips that takes it to the next level.
Almond Strips are bars of baked pastry dough topped with cinnamon, sugar, and almond slices. These bars are a great way to use those pastry scraps – yet are so pretty and tasty that they can be served without apology.
Here is the original recipe:
And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Almond Strips
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup almond slices
pie pastry for a 1-shell pie (or use scraps of pastry dough left-over after making a pie crust)
1 egg white
Put sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; stir to combine. Then add almond slices; stir. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425° F. Roll pie pastry into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Cut into strips 2 inches X 4 inches. Place strips on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon/almond mixture. Make sure the sugar and almonds are distributed evenly across the bars. Press lightly. Bake for approximately 10 -15 minutes (or until lightly browned).
A Hundred Years Ago 
Cannot make those, as they would be consumed on the spot.
You know yourself better than I do. I tend to make treats thinking that I’ll have will power not to eat them – but then don’t. 🙂
These are a traditional Dutch delight. I grew up about 30 minutes from the Dutch town of Pella, Iowa, and every couple of weeks we’d make a trip over to Jaarsma bakery for a variety of treats, including what were (and are) called almond sticks.. I still order their windmill cookies (Speculaas) and almond paste filled Dutch letters at Christmas time.
I learned something new. I hadn’t realized that they were a traditional Dutch treat. One thing I’ve learned from doing this blog is how much regional variation there is in foods. Your comment brought back warm memories of attending the Tulip festival in Pella with a friend a number of years ago (though I’m almost sure that we didn’t eat any almond sticks).
Our high school band used to march in the Tulip Time parade every year.
Ooooh, I do the cinnamon sugar combo on pie crust, too, but this sounds delightful!
Like you, the cinnamon sugar combo is how I typically enhance pastry scraps.
That is a really great idea. My Mom used to make us sugar pie with the left overs, adding almonds would be even better.
I really like the addition of almonds (and the egg white is probably needed to help keep the almonds in place). It is very tasty.
Just … yes.
It’s yummy. 🙂
Yum! This one is definitely a keeper.
I like recipes like this one that are easy to make -and the added bonus that pastry scraps can be used makes it even better.
Great way of utilizing dough scrapes!
I agree!
This looks wonderful!
The Almond Strips are delightful.
I must remember this the next time I make a pie. Your bars are beautiful.
Thank you! I think that you’ll like this recipe.
What a nice idea!
I’m sometimes amazed by the wonderful, yet very practical recipes, that I find in hundred-year-old books and magazines.
I know, me too. They were amazing cooks, and they didn’t have the internet or television, just a network of other home cooks.
I like how you identified “a network of other home cooks” as an important resource. Cooks can learn so much from one another.
I think it’s the best way to learn, you don’t even know it’s happening if you are a child!
That’s a great idea, any nut sprinkled on top would be a plus!
How true – walnuts, pecans, or other nuts would also work well.
What a clever idea.
I agree!
Since I buy sliced almonds in 4-pound quantities, I think this would be a good use for them! Looks very crunchy and right up my alley!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
I think that you’ll enjoy this recipe.
Awesome – if you love almonds! I have done the cinnamon-sugar thing for years, only I take the leftover dough, ball it up, roll it out again, then sprinkle the whole thing with cinnamon-sugar and cut them with a zig-zag cutter we call a Raedle, then roll them up and bake until browned. These never last long! I always thought that high end hotels should serve them as a kind of appetizer before their $18 breakfasts, you know, just something to hold you and delight you until the bacon and eggs come out. 🙂
I love your idea. They sound much tastier and prettier than many foods that I’ve eaten at hotels. 🙂
PS I love love love the concept of your blog!! I always thought i was born too late, that I fit in another era. I too have one of those old cookbooks. Mine is the Good Housekeeping Book of Menus, Recipes and Household Discoveries, 1922 (revised 1925). What a wonderful throwback you are doing! Patricia
It’s wonderful to hear that you like the concept of this blog. I have a lot of fun doing it, and it’s always nice to hear when someone enjoys it. Based on the title of your old cookbook, it sounds like it would be a treasure trove of tasty recipes.
These sound amazing!! Pinning to try!
Jenna
I think that you’d like them.
I was just recently remembering what my mom made with pastry scraps. She took strips and sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar and rolled into pinwheels. I may try a combo with my leftover recent galette dough (I find galettes much more forgiving than traditional pies 🙂
The pinwheels sound delightful. I think that this recipe would work well with galette dough.
I had forgotten about these Almond Strips, until I saw your heading photo. Used to be a favourite, many years ago. Thank you for taking me down memory lane, Sheryl:)
It’s nice to hear that this post brought back some good food memories.
These look great! My kids always loved those left over scraps of pie dough that I cut into shapes and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I loved them too!
Sometimes the scraps when enhanced with cinnamon and sugar are almost as good as the pie. 🙂
Looks like a mighty tasty sweet treat. Yum 😀
It’s tasty.
What a great idea. They sound delicious!
They’re yummy.
Yes please, they would be delicious with a cup of tea.
They’d be perfect with a cup of tea.
Oh my gosh, I HAVE to make these. They look delicious. I love pie crust just plain, so this will be wonderful.
The Almond Strips are really good. I think that you’ll like them.
They look fantastic!! 🍽