Mandelbrot

 

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making "Mandelbrot," also known as almond bread. This sweet treat is a traditional Jewish and Eastern European delicacy, often featuring almonds. However, our family has a special twist on this classic recipe, and it's our absolute favorite. From my mom, to us, and now to you, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. God Bless!

Ingredients:

• 300g of all-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• 100g of granulated sugar (1 cup)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of light oil (I prefer using extra light olive oil for its mild flavor, but canola or vegetable oil will work fine)
• 1 tablespoon of almond extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 cup of dried sweetened cranberries

Let's get started!

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare a medium or large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with your favorite wooden spoon. I find that using an older, nostalgic spoon adds the necessary special touch to the recipe. So now would be the time to use grandma's spoon! No need to pre-mix or cream the eggs!
4. Divide the batter into two portions and shape each into 2 flattened logs, approx 3.5" wide, and 10" long.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes (leave the oven on).
6. Remove the logs from the oven and cut each loaf into about 12 strips using a wide, sharp spatula or knife. Slightly separate each strip to create a small gap between slices.
7. Turn off the oven and place the sliced logs back in for an additional 6-7 minutes. This double baking step helps the edges hold more like a cookie while maintaining a soft texture.

(This is where the parchement works even better, because I gently lift/slide them off to a cutting board to cut, and then can easily lift/slide them back on the tray for that last semi-bake.)

These almond bread slices can be enjoyed warm or cold. They are perfect for a sweet treat any time of day.

For a fun variation, you can replace the almond extract with vanilla extract and swap the cranberries with chocolate chips. Feel free to experiment with different flavors, but our cranberry version remains a family favorite.

Enjoy!

You can do your own math, but depending on the cut, mine usually come out to around 140 calories each, just FYI.