Cookies, Chocolate, Nuts...What Could Be bad?!

When I was a young girl every time my Bubby came to visit she would bring a tremendous amount of Mandelbrodt for my mother to put in our extra freezer and defrost anytime she needed a dessert. Our extra freezer was located in the laundry room in the basement so snitching one of Bubby’s special treats took a bit more effort, but I was always up for the challenge. Let’s just say I was always the first one to volunteer to switch a load of laundry in the basement, and can safely attribute those frozen little cookie sticks to an extra five pounds I still carry with me today.
I believe that if you are going to eat cookies they are best digested with a nice glass of tea, and why bother drinking tea without a good cookie? Mandelbrodt is a wonderful accompaniment to tea as it is not too sweet and the perfect consistency that can withstand a dunk or two into your hot drink. B’teavon

Pistachio Sticks...My Version of Mandelbrodt

1 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup chopped pistachios
Ground cinnamon
½ cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with pam. Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of chopped pistachios. Mix the wet and dry mixtures together in one large mixing bowl and mix well. Divide dough into two pieces and form into two loaves. Place loaves on separate baking sheets. Sprinkle loaves with cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown (depends on your oven). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes and then slice(about half inch thick) .


Chocolate Pistachio Topping

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup chopped pistachios

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix powdered sugar and cocoa together. Add drops of water to mixture until the consistency is a thick frosting. Frost each piece of Mandelbrodt individually and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top of frosted Mandelbrodt pieces while the frosting is still wet. Let harden and serve!
Yields about 30-35 pieces.

Balthazar Bakery’s Ginger Citrus Tea-
A Great Accompaniment To Pistachio Sticks

4 cups water

1/8 cinnamon stick
5 oz. fresh ginger
1/4 lemon, peel only, zested in strips
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 bunch fresh mint, washed
Bring water to a boil with cinnamon. Peel ginger with a vegetable peeler. Roughly chop the ginger and add to the pot along with lemon zest and juice. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add honey, stir well, and simmer (covered) for another 20 minutes. Pour over fresh mint, then strain and serve.
 Makes about 1 quart.

  Mandelbrodt Tips

• When adding chocolate or nuts to the Mandelbrodt batter, be sure to dust the nuts and/or chocolate with flour; it will help to disperse them more evenly throughout the batter and keep them from all sinking to the bottom of the cookie.
• Every time you open the oven door the temperature is lowered and the baking process is disturbed, so minimize checking on your Mandelbrot by opening and closing the oven, rather turn the light on in your oven and look through the window.
• For best storage and preservation of the Mandelbrodt, store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. If you are planning on freezing your Mandelbrodt, do so soon after they have cooled to retain optimal freshness.
• If you are going to freeze your Mandelbrodt don’t apply the chocolate and nut topping until you are ready to serve. This means apply the toppings with enough time to harden before you serve them, but not before you put them in the freezer. 

Did You Know?

Some History About Mandel (ALMOND) Brodt (BREAD):
The answer to questions regarding the origin of this recipe depends upon whether you are seeking a culinary history or linguistic study of Mandelbrodt. Historians confirm that almonds were known to ancient Middle Eastern cooks, and were incorporated into many recipes. Biscuits/biscotti, twice-baked hard breads, were popular in Ancient Rome and generally spread with the Romans to other parts of the continent. Back in the day when modern packaging/preservation options didn't exist, this dried bread was a sensible option. The term Mandelbrot is of Germanic heritage and this particular food is traditionally associated with Eastern European Jews. In Eastern Europe Jews dipped them into a glass of tea, and because they include no butter (the Shabbat meals are usually meat and therefore no dairy or dairy ingredients are eaten at the same meal) and are easily stored they have become a good Shabbat dessert."
-Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan