Description
Grandma Annie’s Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread is a delightful twice-baked cookie that’s crunchy and packed with semi-sweet chocolate chips and nuts. This traditional Jewish treat combines warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg with a rich buttery dough, offering a perfect balance of texture and flavor. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with a cup of coffee, these mandel bread cookies stay fresh for weeks when stored properly.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (or 1 cup vegetable oil)
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 large eggs
Add-ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or slivered almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the melted and cooled butter with 1 cup of sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract on medium speed until combined. Add eggs and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes pale yellow.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F and place two racks in the middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean surface.
- Shape and Bake Logs: Divide the dough and shape into two logs approximately 2 inches wide, 13 inches long, and 1 inch tall. Place them on prepared sheets and bake for about 25 minutes until lightly golden, rotating pans halfway through. Remove from oven and cool on racks for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 250°F.
- Prepare Cinnamon-Sugar: Mix remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Slice and Sprinkle: Cut cooled logs diagonally into ¾-inch thick slices on baking sheets or a cutting board. Flip slices onto their sides, sprinkle half the cinnamon-sugar over them, flip again, and sprinkle the rest on the other side.
- Second Bake: Return slices to the oven at 250°F and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely on baking sheets placed on racks before storing.
- Storage and Freezing: Store cooled mandel bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For freezing dough, shape logs, wrap securely in plastic, freeze up to 3 months; thaw and bake when ready. For freezing baked cookies, double-wrap and thaw overnight before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is melted but slightly cooled to avoid cooking the eggs during mixing.
- Chilling the dough helps in shaping the logs easily and retains the shape during baking.
- Rotate baking sheets during the first bake for even browning.
- Lowering the oven temperature for the second bake ensures a crisp texture without burning.
- Optional nuts add texture but can be omitted for nut allergies.
- Cookies will become crunchier as they cool, enhancing their mandel bread texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
