I posted a version of this Jewish dessert earlier on this blog. After doing some research on the dessert, I found that the recipe listed did not have any almond in it. I suppose that this is a family variation.

So I took the basic recipe – and the photo to the left – from The Shiksa and altered it slightly by using almond extract and course ground almonds. You can get a printable recipe by Looking Here.I have also posted the altered recipe below so you can see what was done. Enjoy! And if you do decide to try this biscotti-like dessert, please do let us know how you liked it and if you made any changes. I have some in the refrigerator now going through the 2-hour resting period. We should have some baked by about 2:00. Hmmmmm!

Yield: 35-40 mandel bread
Recipe Adapted From: http://theshiksa.com/blog/2011/01/12/bubbie-ruths-mandel-bread/

Notes: Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early nineteenth century. Mandelbrot are closely related to the Italian cookies known as biscotti, which were first made in the Middle Ages. The word mandelbrot means almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish. In America, these tasty little cookies are known as mandel bread. Typically mandel bread are twice-baked, which makes them crispy and crunchy.

 Ingredients:
1 c Vegetable oil
1 c Sugar
3 Eggs
2 t pure Vanilla extract
1½ t Almond extract
3 c All-Purpose flour
1 t Baking powder
½ t Salt
1 c Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 c Almonds, coarsely chopped
Ground cinnamon and granulated sugar for dusting


Directions:
Mix together oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs one at a time. After the eggs are combined, add vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together all the dry ingredients and add them slowly to the sugar/egg mixture. Once the dough is smooth and sticky, pour the chocolate chips and chopped almonds in and mix. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 2) or overnight.


Lightly oil your hands and form 4 long rows with the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup). Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. While mandel bread is baking – In a flat shallow dish, combine ¾ cup of sugar with enough cinnamon to turn the mixture light brown. It’s best to eyeball this – it shouldn’t be too brown or too white.


Take the mandel bread out and turn the oven down to 250ºF. Slice the mandel bread into biscotti sized pieces. Carefully roll each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Put the pieces back on the cookie sheet on their sides.


Bake for another 15 minutes until they’ve achieved the texture you desire. The longer they stay in the oven, the crisper they will be. If the slices are big or wide, you might need longer than 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and don’t over-bake, as this cookie tends to dry out quickly. Store in an airtight container.