Mandel bread (Mandelbrot) are twice-baked cookies similar to biscotti, and all you need are a few basic ingredients. With their crunchy texture, pure almond flavor, and a hint of cinnamon, they're a delicious food hug from Grandma!
¼ to ½teaspoon(¼teaspoon)almond extract, see Recipe Notes
1cup(120grams)slivered almonds, dry roasted, coarsely chopped, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet baking pans each with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder cinnamon (if using), and salt. Set aside.
Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed until the mixture is a light lemon color, about 5 minutes.
Add in the canola oil, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until blended.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the chopped almonds. You can also use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and almonds by hand (the dough will get very stiff, and you’ll get a good arm workout). Either way, the dough will have a soft clay-like consistency.
With lightly floured hands on a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 portions. Pat each portion into a log about 12-inches long, 2-inches wide, and 1-inch tall. Transfer two logs to each of the prepared baking pans, leaving about 3 inches between them (the logs will spread as they bake).
Bake the dough for 20 to 25 minutes (rotating the pans and switching racks at the halfway point), or until the top is light brown and feels set. A cake tester poked into the log will come out clean.
Remove the logs from the pans and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Transfer a log to a cutting board, and cut each roll into ½- to 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife. You have the option of cutting the cookies straight across or at a diagonal. Repeat with the remaining logs.
Place the slices, cut side down, back onto the baking pans. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven. Flip the pieces over and return the pans to the oven, rotating them between the upper and lower racks. Bake for another 7 to 10 minutes until toasted.
Cool the pieces completely on a wire rack, then serve and enjoy!
Storage instructions: Mandel bread is best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week. Baked mandelbrot cookies can be frozen in an air-tight bag for up to 3 months. They can be defrosted on the counter for a few minutes, or eat them chilled from the freezer. They're delicious both ways!
Make-ahead instructions: You can freeze mandelbrot dough logs for up to 4 months, each wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, remove the log(s) from the freezer and thaw the dough until it's soft and pliable before baking.
Recipe Notes
The cinnamon is optional here, but really adds warm notes to support the almond flavor. You can reduce the amount or omit it altogether if you prefer.If you prefer to have dairy-free mandel bread, just double the canola oil and omit the butter.I like to use more almond extract and dry roasted almonds to give the richest almond flavor. You can dial back the extract and use blanched almonds if you want the flavor to be more subtle.You can decide how soft you want the mandelbrot- the thinner you cut and longer you toast the slices, the crispier they will be.Flavor variations:
For chocolate chip mandel bread, omit the cinnamon and fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips with the chopped almonds. You can also add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make double chocolate mandel bread.
Other add-ins or substitutions to try are chopped walnuts or pecans, dried or candied fruits, or a any combination of these. Or, take your mandelbrot to the next level and dip them in tempered chocolate!