Mandel Bread (Passover and Regular Recipe)

Mandel Bread wrapped and ready for the school Bake Sale.

Passover ingredients.

 

 

 

 

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Mandel Bread batter.

Form batter into narrow loaves not more than 3 inches high.

 

 

 

 

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Narrow loaves.

Remove from oven, slice, and turn slices on their sides to bake for approximately 5 – 10 more minutes.

Fresh out of the oven.

Mandel Bread 

In 8th grade, I took a cooking class and hand wrote a recipe as we learned how to make Mandel Bread. When I came across the recipe on a piece of lined loose leaf paper, it was as if the delicious scent of cinnamon and chocolate swirled not just in my memory. I had to try the long-forgotten recipe.  Guess what?  That recipe stands, and the delicious scent of cinnamon and chocolate really did fill my house.

Mandel Bread (pron. MAHN-del bread), also known as Mandelbrodt in Yiddush or Kamishbrot in Ukraine, is an Eastern European cookie that is similar to Italian biscotti. Mandel means almond in Yiddush (and Swedish, thanks for the info Miss Marzipan), so the recipe for Mandel Bread usually includes sliced almonds.  But, since my kids don’t like nuts, I make mine without them.

Sometimes, they come out crunchy and sometimes, doughy. This batch, as Goldilocks would say, “came out just right!”

7th GradeTween Daughter, “Mom, would you please make something Kosher for Passover for our school’s bake sale?’

Me:  “I know just what to make!”

Happy baking, hon.

Mandel Bread (for Passover)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 pound margarine (2 sticks)

6 eggs

2 3/4 cups cake meal

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup potato starch

6 ounces chocolate chips

optional–1 cup chopped nuts

cinnamon/sugar mixture–approximately 1 Tablespoon sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Sift cake meal and potato starch separately.  After sifting and measuring, they can be combined.

3.  Cream margarine and sugar together.

4.  Add eggs one at a time.

5.  Fold salt and sifted ingredients into creamed mixture.

6.  Blend in chocolate chips (and nuts, if including).

7.  Form loaves on cookie sheet.  Keep loaves narrow and not too high (less than 3 inches.)    Dough will be loose and sticky.  Moisten hands with water for easier handling.

8.  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over loaves.

9.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until slightly browned.  Take out of oven.

10.  Slice loaves while hot.  Turn slices onto their sides, separating slightly.  Sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar mixture on sides of Mandel Bread slices if desired.

11.  Return to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes to dry out a bit more.

Mandel Bread (Regular Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

4 cups flour, split into 2 cups and 2 cups

2 Tablespoons baking powder

3/4 cup vegetable oil

6 ounces chocolate chips

cinnamon/sugar mixture–approximately 1 Tablespoon sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Cream margarine and sugar together.  Add vanilla.

3.  Add 2 cups of flour with baking powder, then vegetable oil, them remaining 2 cups flour.

4.  Fold in chocolate chips.

5.  Form loaves on cookie sheet. Dough will be loose and sticky. Moisten hands with water for easier handling.

6. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over loaves.

7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until slightly browned. Take out of oven.

8. Slice loaves while hot. Turn slices onto their sides, separating slightly. Sprinkle more cinnamon/sugar mixture on sides of Mandel Bread slices if desired.

9. Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes to dry out a bit more.