RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Mandelbread, Grandma Selma's - pareve
Nancy Ring is a professional pastry chef who wrote a book about her experiences in the profession. The following recipe is her Grandmother's recipe for Mandelbread. It includes a neat hint for ensuring the bottom of the mandelbread log does not overbake. She suggests putting a second baking sheet upside down under the one the logs are on. I have read recipes which claim the slightly burnt flavor of the underside of mandelbread slices is part of the accepted flavor of the dish. I'd rather eliminate the problem, and Ring's suggestion does that nicely. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * Grandma Selma's Mandelbread 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, but not greasy 1 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 3 ounces sliced almonds 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips To prepare the dough: Combine flour and baking powder and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour and baking powder to egg mixture, mixing only until the flour is incorporated. Do not overwork the dough. Divide dough in half. Add almonds to one half and chocolate chips to the other. Refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and wet hands slightly. Roll each piece of dough into a 2-inch-wide log. Place logs on a parchment-paper -covered, nonstick or greased sheet pan. To prevent overbaking the undersides of the logs, place another sheet pan upside down under the one the logs are on. Bake logs until medium golden and firm, 25 to 35 minutes, turning tray once during baking to ensure even color and temperature. Place the sheet pan on a rack and let the logs cool for about 10 minutes. When the logs are still very warm but not so hot that they crumble, carefully cut the logs into slices about 3/4 inch thick, using a very sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion. Let these slices cool completely. Bake the sliced mandelbrot again, cut side down, at 375 degrees on doubled sheet pans. After 5 minutes of baking, turn the slices over and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the slices are light golden and feel slightly firm to the touch. Let slices cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Yield: About 3 dozen cookies. Original source: WALKING ON WALNUTS: MY GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES FOR REUGLACH, ROMANCE, AND SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD Nancy Ring Current source: "Creative Cookbook Author Combines Art, Family and Heritage" Judith Evans ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH (on-line edition), 11/4/96
