February 2022 Blog - Almonds for Valentine's Day

February is the shortest month of the year and one of the most interesting. In some places, notably California, it is in February that the first tentative signs of spring appear.
 

Plum
The first plum to bloom
Is a scraggly dark twiggy thing
Stunted beneath a regal redwood
And an elegant oak.
Children ride by it on their bicycles
And don’t even give it a glance.
But I, older now, take the time
To look at things like this.
Tiny white blossoms
Really have emerged
On this unsung plum.
And even a few robins
Grace the ground I walk.
Does this mean winter may give way
After all?
 

​In other places, February is still a full-on cold and snowy winter month.
 

​Even in winter’s
Cold, the ivy glistens green
On the frosty ground

​No matter what kind of climate you are in, Valentine’s Day arrives every year on February 14 to warm our hearts and to remind us that we all love to be loved. Here is a Valentine Tanka (a 31-syllable 5-line Japanese style poem) I wrote last year as a Valentine’s Day gift.
 

 
Dawn’s pink light covers
The clouds, the waves and a lone
Plover on the shore.
One cloud shifts to a heart shape,
And I think of you with love.
 

 
There are many ways to express our affection on Valentine’s Day. Each of us has some special gift or talent, and right where we are is the best place to look to convey how much we care. Those of you who can draw, paint, take beautiful photographs or write in elegant calligraphy have everything you need to create a lovely valentine. And if you have a good visual and tactile sense but cannot find the words to share your feelings, the great poets of the world are always there for us when we need them, and they would not care in the least if we borrowed a few of their heart-felt words.
​
Here are some little gems from the Sonnets of William Shakespeare:
 

 
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou are more lovely and more temperate.” From Sonnet 18
 
“…I think on thee, and then my state
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From the sullen earth sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.” From Sonnet 30
 
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,” From Sonnet 116
 

My favorite Romantic poet is John Keats, a sweet and kind young man who wrote all of his poetry by the age of twenty-four and died the following year. Here are the beginning lines of his lengthy romantic poem, “Endymion.” Wouldn’t these words be charming in a Valentine?
 

 
Then there is Elizabeth Barrett, the most famous British poet of the Victorian Era, who eloped with the poet Robert Browning at the age of forty, became Elizabeth Barrett Browning and lived happily ever after in Florence with her true love. The following quotations come from “Sonnets from the Portuguese,” which she wrote to express her undying love for Robert.
 

 
“Say thou dost love me, love me—toll
The silver iterance!—only minding, Dear,
To love me also in silence with thy soul.” From Sonnet 21
 
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, …
… and if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.” From Sonnet 43

Those of you who can sew, knit, crochet or are gifted crafters do not need words at all to express your love for your Valentine. And of course, the cooks among us can always prepare a special meal for the one we love. For tea lovers there is no more precious Valentine than an invitation to Afternoon Tea. I invite you to view the visually delightful chapter on this website, “A Valentine’s Day Tea” in the February calendar section. In this menu, my co-author, Kathleen has created a glorious assembly of savories and sweets, featuring heart shapes and red, pink and creamy pastel colors for both the food and the decorations. Some of my favorites from “A Valentine’s Day Tea” include the bright pink Cherry Coconut Pom Pons, Chocolate Heart Sandwich Cookies with Sour Cherry Filling, Battenberg Cake in a stunning Checkerboard design, and the always beautiful Strawberry Charlotte, filled with vibrant red berries.
 

 
Almond blossoms fall
Along the trail; a rabbit
Scampers through the twigs.
 

This year I am also thinking of almonds, which produce elegant white blossoms in February and delicious, healthful and versatile nuts from August through October. Like the lovely Lemon, which I extoled in my May, 2021 blog, Almonds are the product of a Mediterranean climate and are delicious in both savory and sweet preparations. Our website features more than ten recipes for dishes made with almonds, from Almond Scones to Almond Madeleines, to Chicken Almond Salad in Lettuce Cups to one of my husband Wayne’s favorite desserts, Spanish Almond Cake. Any of our Almond-based recipes would be welcome additions to your Valentine’s Day Tea.
 

​An ancient food of pre-historic origin, Almonds first grew in Iran and gradually spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean and north Africa and on to Spain and Portugal. Today, California, which also enjoys a Mediterranean climate, is by far the primary producer of almonds, followed by Spain, Iran, Turkey, Morocco and Italy. Almonds are packed with nutrition, filled with vitamins, minerals and protein. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends that regular consumption of almonds can reduce the risk of heart disease. I eat almonds every day because they are good for my health and because they are one of my all-time favorite foods. No wonder my blogs are filled with almond recipes.
 
My husband and I begin every day by eating Home-Made Almond Granola, which I bake myself. One batch lasts us about three weeks, and it is always in our cupboard. You can find the recipe in my June 2020 blog. A bag of this wonderful breakfast cereal/snack, filled with oats, almonds, cranberries and almond butter, tied with a red ribbon, would make a delightful Valentine gift for your sweetheart. A Chocolate Almond Torte, found in my April 2019 blog, would also be splendid for Valentine’s Day. And in my July, 2018 blog on Venice, I share one of my favorite Italian desserts, Fregolotta, also known as Italian Crumb Cake, filled with ground almonds and topped with whole almonds. And if you are too busy to bake, remember that almonds are fabulous treats as both sweet and savory snacks. There is nothing like Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds, or Sesame Honey Almonds, both easy to find at good old Trader Joe’s. And we have a bag of savory Sriracha Hot Chili Almonds in our pantry right now.

I also have a good supply of whole almonds in my freezer, and I am still thinking about Spanish Almond Cake. I sneaked our recipe for Pastel de Almendras, or Spanish Almond Cake, into our Portuguese Tea Menu in the World of Tea Parties section of this website. Wayne and I have traveled to neighboring Spain and Portugal and love the cuisine of both countries. But he fell in love with the Spanish Almond Cake which we bought at a bakery in Madrid shortly after it came out of the oven. The sales lady sprinkled this sublime confection lightly with powdered sugar, just before placing it into our eager hands. After our return home, I was able to find the recipe and have made it for special occasions, including Valentine’s Day, numerous times since. I am happy to share the recipe with you here.
 

 
Among the bare oaks
A scrub almond tree, covered
With pure white blossoms.
​

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​Spanish Almond Cake (Pastel de Almendras)
​

This elegant pound cake filled with ground toasted almonds is very popular in Spain, Portugal’s now friendly next-door neighbor. This cake needs no icing or decoration, as it has a delicate dignity all its own. Serve it on a cake pedestal sprinkled all over with powdered sugar. It is best the day it is baked, but it is also wonderful for breakfast the next morning.

 

• 1 ½ cups ground toasted almonds (2 cups of whole almonds before grinding)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup flour
• powdered sugar for sifting over the cake

 

Preheat oven to 350° F
 
Special equipment: Cooking spray, 10” spring form pan, food processor, 2 large mixing bowls, small bowl, electric mixer, parchment paper, large baking sheet, aluminum foil, wire rack, rubber spatula, flour sifter or sieve, thin sharp knife.
 
Makes: One 10” cake, approximately 12 servings

​

1. Bring butter and eggs to room temperature. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. If you are using whole almonds, toast them at 350 on a large foil covered baking sheet, for 10 minutes, stirring several times to ensure even browning. Remove the almonds from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Spray a 10” spring form pan with cooking spray. Cut a 10” circle of parchment, fit it into the bottom of the pan, and spray again.

 

1. Pulse the cooled almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Do not pulse until the almonds turn into nut butter. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in another large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

 

1. Add the egg yolks, almond extract and vanilla and beat briefly to combine. Measure 1 ½ cups of ground almonds from the food processor and add to the batter, mixing just to combine.

 

1. Clean the beaters and beat the egg whites until light and fluffy and stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the butter mixture with a rubber spatula, using an over and under motion until the egg whites disappear. Sift the flour over the batter little by little and gently fold in the flour until incorporated.

 

1. Scape the batter gently into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a cake tester or thin sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. To serve, transfer the cake to a cake pedestal and carefully sift powdered sugar all over the cake. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature.