Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Finely grind the almonds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in food processor. Put in a small bowl. (If you do not have a food processor, very finely chop the almonds. Put them in a bowl and stir in the sugar.)

In a small bowl, toss the cherry pieces with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Lay the sheets of phyllo flat on a work surface. Remove 1 sheet from the stack and place it on the work surface. Cover the remaining sheets with a kitchen towel. With a pastry brush, brush the single sheet with 1/4 of the melted butter and then sprinkle with 1/4 of the almond sugar.

Lay a second sheet of phyllo on top of the first, and butter and sugar it. Continue in the same manner with the third sheet of phyllo. Place the fourth piece of phyllo on top of the stack but do not butter or sugar it.

Cut the phyllo vertically into quarters and then cut the phyllo in half horizontally. You will have 8 rectangles. Place about 3 tablespoons of cherries on the end of each phyllo rectangle. Roll up the phyllo around the cherries.

Place the rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.