Hanukkah starts at the end of this week. For the past few years, I’ve been posting recipes for the holiday meal. There’s a brisket recipe for the main dish, a Brussels sprouts recipe for the vegetable, and a mushroom side dish. And saving the best for last, today’s post is the most important part of the meal, the sweet finish.
Mandelbrots (literally, “almond bread” in Yiddish) are very similar to Italian biscotti. The major difference is the use of oil instead of butter. These twice-baked cookies made with oil and almonds can be traced back to Eastern Europe in the 19th century. This modernized American version includes dark chocolate chips and orange zest, one of my most favorite holiday flavor combinations. They are truly pleasurable to eat!
May your life be filled with light during this Festival of Lights season!
Chocolate Chip & Orange Mandelbrot
Chocolate Chip & Orange Mandelbrot (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 4+ hours, Prep Time: 25 minutes, Chill Time: 3 hours, Bake time: 35 minutes/batch + cooling time, Makes: about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated orange zest, from 1 – 2 oranges
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs with 1 cup of sugar, until well blended.
Start with the sugar and eggs.
Add the oil, orange zest, and almond extract to the egg mixture, whisking until smooth.
Add the oil, extract, and zest.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips.
Add the almonds and chips to the dough.
Refrigerate the dough, covered, for 3 hours.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using lightly oiled hands, divide the dough into 4 portions. On a Silpat mat or parchment-lined baking sheet, shape 2 of the portions into 7 x 4-inch rectangles. Repeat the shaping with the remaining dough. Bake the loaves until the tops are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Shape the dough into four loaves.
Cool the baked loaves in the pans on wire racks until the loaves are cool enough to handle. Transfer the loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, diagonally cut the loaves into 1-inches slices.
Cut the loaves into slices.
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, then sprinkle it over both sides of the slices. Place the slices cut side down on baking sheets. Bake the slices until they are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
Sprinkle the slices with the cinnamon & sugar mixture.
When the cookies are done, remove the slices from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Allow the cookies to cool.
Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Ready for the celebration!
Chocolate Chip & Orange Mandelbrot (adapted from tasteofhome.com) Total Time Required: 4+ hours, Prep Time: 25 minutes, Chill Time: 3 hours, Bake Time: 35 minutes/batch + cooling time, Makes: about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated orange zest, from 1 – 2 oranges
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs with 1 cup of sugar until well blended. Add the oil, orange zest, and almond extract to the egg mixture, whisking until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough, covered, for 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using lightly oiled hands, divide the dough into 4 portions. On a Silpat mat or parchment-lined baking sheet, shape 2 of the portions into 7 x 4-inch rectangles. Repeat the shaping with the remaining dough. Bake the loaves until the tops are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Cool the baked loaves in the pans on wire racks until the loaves are cool enough to handle. Transfer the loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, diagonally cut the loaves into 1-inches slices. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the cut edges of the slices. Place the slices cut side down on baking sheets. Bake the slices until they are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. When they are done, remove the slices from the pans to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container.