The origin of the almond pastries is thought to date back to the Arabs who in the sixth century began to work almonds with sugar to produce sophisticated sweets. It is also said that in the 11th century the monks of the Martorana Convent in Palermo created the first almond pastries. Sicilian almonds are used to create these almond pastes that are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and very fragrant.