How To Make Mandelbrot

Mandelbread, or mandelbrot (or mandelbrei, as I knew it as a young child), is an Eastern European and Russian Jewish twice-baked cookie. In some ways it is like its cousin, biscotti, the famous Italian twice-baked cookie, but mandelbrot is richer in eggs and fat and bakes up into a softer, more delicate cookie, with a toasty exterior that pairs as well with hot teas, as biscotti does with espresso.

Although I have a bit of an emotional attachment to mandelbrot (which my Great Aunt Cele made year-round), the real reason mandelbrot remains one of my favorite cookies is because the texture is so inviting. After slicing, that second bake makes it toasty where it’s been sliced. It’s crisp on the edges from that first bake, and even with all that baking, it’s still easy to bite (I’m looking at you tooth-breaking biscotti). It also keeps at room temperature for up to six days, making it great to bake on the weekends and have on hand during the holiday season for tea breaks, coffee-fueled brunches, and a treat to have on hand when friends or family stop by.

Mandelbrot is a cookie that is baked in a log shape the first time until it’s about 95 percent done, then cooled on a baking tray until it is just barely warm to the touch, and then sliced and baked again. The outside should be a light caramel brown and crisp, and the center, although forgiving under a sharp, serrated knife, is anything but raw or soft.

Just like biscotti, the first bake is key. If it’s not baked enough the first time around, your mandelbrot will never toast up properly. If it gets a wee bit too cooked that first time, the only issue will be that the mandelbrot will crumble a bit more at the edges when cut. Don’t worry at all — this is a rustic, homestyle recipe and most mandelbrot has a few broken edges here and there.

In this recipe, many different types of nuts work very well, including slivered almonds, skinned hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts. By the way, when it comes to adding nuts, I am a huge believer in making the time to toast nuts to add richness and depth by waking up all those volatile nut oils. You can also substitute any dried fruit or any citrus zest for the ones used here. I like my mandelbrot with toasted chopped hazelnuts or almonds and dried apricots or dried Mission figs.

Change the mix-ins, not the dough: Since the dough has brown sugar in it, which is rather unusual for a mandelbrot, I wouldn’t play with anything (like flours) except the add-ins, or the cookie could easily bake up way too soft or way too hard.

This recipe has many make-ahead possibilities. The dough can be refrigerated for up to one day before baking. It might take an extra few minutes to cook through in the first bake, 42 to 47 minutes. After the dough logs are wrapped in plastic, they can also be well-wrapped in foil and frozen for a month. They will be just a bit drier than if baked right after the quick chill. Defrost in the refrigerator and bake as directed.