Grandma’s Mandelbrot-Holiday Style

Crispy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, these have been a family favorite ever since my husband’s mom began making them! This year we decided to add a little holiday flair to her traditional recipe by dipping them in dark chocolate and sprinkling them with roasted pistachios. D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! 

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Mandelbrot dipped in dark chocolate and with roasted pistachios

Though mandelbrot and biscotti are similar, mandelbrot is softer and easier on the teeth! It’s made with oil, whereas most biscotti are made with no oil or butter, causing them to be super crunchy. Mandelbrot, I would say is crispy, but not super crunchy. Mandelbrot is much more delicate and has that melt in your mouth kind of crisp

This recipe is from my late mother-in-law, Dolores Iventosch. She was an amazing cook and these have always been a family favorite! They keep very well in the freezer and last for several days at room temperature in an airtight container. Be careful this time of year, as the ants like them just as much as humans!

Grandma’s Mandelbrot

The name biscotti stems from the Latin “bis” meaning twice, and “coctus” meaning cooked – literally means “twice cooked.” The cookies often contain nuts as reflected in the German variety, mandelbrot, where “mandel” means almond, and “brodt” means bread. Mandelbrot, is of Germanic heritage and is traditionally associated with Eastern European Jews. 
Biscotti, mandelbrot, or kamish brot, whatever the nationality, these little treasures are tasty with coffee, tea, or even a glass of wine. 
This mandelbrot recipe call for baking first, then slicing, and then baking again to ensure a crisp texture. This second baking can really delay satisfaction when the sweet tooth comes knocking, but don't cheat! This step makes the cookies nice and crispy.  
Servings 30 cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
  • 1 cup bittersweet not unsweetened chocolate chips
  • Extra Flour for kneading dough

Toppings:

  • 1 cup chopped roasted unsalted pistachios
  • 8 oz. dark chocolate melted and cooled

Instructions

  • Mix dries in a large bowl. Add nuts and chocolate chips to dries and stir.
  • In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, and vanilla and mix well. Add egg mixture to dries and mix well.
  • Place dough on floured board and knead until smooth and no longer sticky. (The dough will seem very sticky and oily at first.)
  • Divide dough into equal thirds and shape each into a log about 10 to 12 inches long and 2-3 inches in diameter.
  • Press down on the logs to flatten just slightly into ovals. Can bake immediately or refrigerate until ready to bake.
  • Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.
  • Remove from the oven and cut each log into 1/2 to 3/4-inch slices on the diagonal.
  • Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes longer. Cool on the pan before separating slices.
  • When cookies are completely cooled, dip them in the melted chocolate and sprinkle chopped pistachios over the chocolate immediately.
  • Allow chocolate to harden before storing in an airtight container.

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