Jewish Food

Mandel Bread Recipe: Easy options for chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts

Mandel bread recipe. Photo ©Susan Braverman. Used with permission

Rhonda Albom, Kibitz Spot
Published February 23, 2022

This story originally appeared on Kibitz Spot.

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Mandel bread (also called mandelbrot) is a twice-baked crispy cookie that can be enjoyed on its own or dunked into coffee. Historically, it was a popular dessert amongst eastern european Jews. Our favorite mandelbrot is from the kitchen of my friend Susan Braverman, who shares her thoughts and her mandel bread recipe below

This delicious crispy cookie bar is not a bread at all. In fact, it’s also known as a Jewish biscotti!

This treat, filled with cinnamon and chocolate chips, can be customized by adding nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, or other flavored chips. They are perfect for dunking in coffee, or tea!

Mandel bread (mandelbrot) vs biscotti

The first two names on the list refer to the same food. Mandel bread is English, whereas mandelbrot is of Germanic heritage. While mandelbrot literally translates to ‘almond bread’, it traditionally describes a crispy cookie with roots in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.

Biscotti, on the other hand, is of Italian origin and tends to have less fat than found in a mandel bread recipe, and biscotti is, therefore, drier.

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What you need to make this mandel bread

While Susan’s complete recipe is below, here is a list of what you will need for her delicious mandelbrot recipe.

Supplies

Baking sheet
Mixing bowls
Parchment paper (baking paper)

Ingredients

Flour
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Vegetable oil
Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla
Semi sweet chocolate chips or optional extras such as raisins, nuts, dried cranberries or other flavored chips.

Freshly baked mandel bread on the cooling rack.
Photo ©Susan Braverman. Used with permission.

Susan’s tips for creating crispy mandel bread

Mandel bread recipe

This recipe was contributed by my friend Susan Braverman.

Yield: 2 LOAVES (24 PIECES)

Mandel bread (also called mandelbrot) is a twice-baked crispy cookie that can be enjoyed on its own or dunked into coffee. Historically, it was a popular dessert amongst Eastern European Jews.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

3½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
Optional substitutions: raisins or nuts (see notes)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
Add (⅓ at a time) the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Use your hands to mix, if necessary.
Add chocolate chips and/or other optional fillings. (Total filling should be 12 ounces)
Form the dough into 2 loaf-type rectangles on the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

(Optional: Sprinkle raw sugar and extra cinnamon on top before baking, for an added crunch.)
Bake at 350ºF (175ºC) for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Slice into 1½ inch pieces and separate a little.
Optional: Return to the oven for 10 minutes to crisp. NOTE: Crisping is a personal taste. If you want a softer cookie bar, don’t do this step.