Portuguese Travesseiro (Almond Pastry Pillow)

Step 1

Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar together using a fork until the mixture is pale yellow and uniform, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add the 0.5 cup of almond paste to the egg mixture and stir using a wooden spoon until no streaks of almond paste remain and the filling looks smooth, about 2 minutes.

Step 4

Place one phyllo sheet on a clean, dry cutting board and brush the entire surface lightly with melted butter using a pastry brush until it glistens.

Step 5

Lay a second phyllo sheet directly on top of the buttered first sheet, then brush this top sheet with melted butter the same way.

Step 6

Spoon half of the almond filling onto the center of the layered phyllo in a thick line, leaving a 2-inch border on all sides.

Step 7

Fold the left edge of the phyllo over the filling, then fold the right edge over, overlapping slightly in the center to create a pillow shape.

Step 8

Slide the pastry pillow onto a baking sheet, then repeat steps 4–7 with the remaining 4 phyllo sheets and remaining almond filling to make a second pastry.

Step 9

Brush the top of each pastry pillow lightly with any remaining melted butter until the surface glistens.

Step 10

Place the baking sheet in the preheated 375°F oven and bake until the pastry turns the color of warm honey with darker golden edges, about 12–15 minutes.

Step 11

Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and let the pastries cool on the sheet for 3 minutes so they firm up slightly.

Step 12

Mix the 0.5 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until uniform.

Step 13

Dust the top of each pastry pillow generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or by sprinkling with a spoon.