Dark Chocolate and Cherry Mandelbrot
"Mandel" means "almond" in Yiddish. This double-baked cookie has a slightly crispy texture and a pleasing sweetness that calls out to be dipped in a cup of hot tea or coffee. It's another form of biscotti, but in this version, adapted from New York's famous delicatessen, Zabar's, I recommend making the logs narrower - 2 inches wide of raw dough (remember that the logs spread in the heat) to ensure the cookies bake through the centre. I also found that it took longer than to dry out than Zabar's prescribed. I turned the cookies every five minutes, switching their position and checking the centres to make sure they dried evenly.
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Ingredients
Makes 20-24 cookies
5 ounces (140 g.) almond paste, chopped into small pieces
Confectioners' (icing) sugar for coating the almond paste
3 cups (375 g.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g.) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1./2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces
1/2 cup (65 g. ) dried sweet or sour cherries
Sea salt for sprinkling
2-4 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds (optional)
Method
1. In a small bowl, toss the chopped almond paste pieces in a light coating of confectioners sugar to prevent the pieces form sticking together.
2. In a second medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the oil and 1 cup (200 g.) of granulated sugar together. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. Using a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture. Add the almond paste pieces, chocolate pieces and cherries. Stir to combine. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to one day..
4. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C.). Either grease a baking sheet with butter (preferred to make sure the bottom browns) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into three portions and orient them lengthwise on the baking sheet. Mold each portion into a long rectangle, about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, making sure to leave about 1 1/2 - 2 inches (3.5-5 cm.) of space between the logs. The dough will spread. If the dough is sticky, lightly oil your hands. Note: The instructions on the Zabar site suggest making 2 logs, 3 inches (7.5 ml) wide. I find at that width the cookie dough doesn't bake through the centre.
5. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, a few pinches of sea salt and the sliced almonds. Gently press the almonds into the dough to make them stick.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, ensuring the centre is set and the dough has lost some of its paleness. Remove the baking sheet from the overn and reduce the heat to 250 degrees F. (120 C). Let the dough logs cool slightly, about 10 minutes, ehtn use a serrated knife to slice them crosswise into pieces 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Turn the slices on their sides, then bake for about 20-40 minutes, turning frequently and moving them from the centre to the outside of the baking sheet until the cookies reach the desired crispness. Let cool 2-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Stores the cookies in an airtight container for a few days or freeze.
"Mandel" means "almond" in Yiddish. This double-baked cookie has a slightly crispy texture and a pleasing sweetness that calls out to be dipped in a cup of hot tea or coffee. It's another form of biscotti, but in this version, adapted from New York's famous delicatessen, Zabar's, I recommend making the logs narrower - 2 inches wide of raw dough (remember that the logs spread in the heat) to ensure the cookies bake through the centre. I also found that it took longer than to dry out than Zabar's prescribed. I turned the cookies every five minutes, switching their position and checking the centres to make sure they dried evenly.
Click here for more fabulous desserts.
Ingredients
Makes 20-24 cookies
5 ounces (140 g.) almond paste, chopped into small pieces
Confectioners' (icing) sugar for coating the almond paste
3 cups (375 g.) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g.) granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1./2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces
1/2 cup (65 g. ) dried sweet or sour cherries
Sea salt for sprinkling
2-4 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds (optional)
Method
1. In a small bowl, toss the chopped almond paste pieces in a light coating of confectioners sugar to prevent the pieces form sticking together.
2. In a second medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the oil and 1 cup (200 g.) of granulated sugar together. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. Using a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture. Add the almond paste pieces, chocolate pieces and cherries. Stir to combine. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to one day..
4. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C.). Either grease a baking sheet with butter (preferred to make sure the bottom browns) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into three portions and orient them lengthwise on the baking sheet. Mold each portion into a long rectangle, about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, making sure to leave about 1 1/2 - 2 inches (3.5-5 cm.) of space between the logs. The dough will spread. If the dough is sticky, lightly oil your hands. Note: The instructions on the Zabar site suggest making 2 logs, 3 inches (7.5 ml) wide. I find at that width the cookie dough doesn't bake through the centre.
5. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, a few pinches of sea salt and the sliced almonds. Gently press the almonds into the dough to make them stick.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, ensuring the centre is set and the dough has lost some of its paleness. Remove the baking sheet from the overn and reduce the heat to 250 degrees F. (120 C). Let the dough logs cool slightly, about 10 minutes, ehtn use a serrated knife to slice them crosswise into pieces 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Turn the slices on their sides, then bake for about 20-40 minutes, turning frequently and moving them from the centre to the outside of the baking sheet until the cookies reach the desired crispness. Let cool 2-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Stores the cookies in an airtight container for a few days or freeze.