Mandelbrot is the twice-baked cookie commonly found in Ashkenazi Jewish households, sort of like an Italian biscotti. Though the term mandelbrot literally means “almond bread,” many modern varieties abound, some with the addition of butter, chocolate chips and dried fruit. This is my mom's original mandelbrot recipe and is best described as OUTSTANDING. I stopped baking her mandelbrot during Rosh Hashanah because she spends hours in the kitchen, baking batch after batch for all our family members. Then, she sends parcels to family living far away and personally delivers those nearby. When we lived in Switzerland we would expect a package delivery of mandelbrot every Rosh Hashanah, and she never missed a year. My mom also insists we store our mandelbrot in the freezer, for a longer shelf life. She believes it tastes best right out of the freezer with a tea or coffee!
Ingredients
1 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup almonds, chopped
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream oil and sugar together in a bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in flour and baking powder. Add nuts.
3. Form 2 rolls of dough on a cookie sheet (approx. 2 x 12 in.)
4. Bake for 15 minutes. The rolls will not appear done, but remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes, making sure the rolls are firm and not too moist.
5. Cut into slices, lay on sides, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Again bake for another 5 minutes on each side until the slices are lightly browned on both sides.