My Mandel Bread Recipe - A Jewish Cookie Delicacy

When I was growing up, mandel bread was a staple in our house - that is, for as long as these hard cookies lasted. It wasn't because they would mold (they won't as they're very very dry) but, once the kids found the stash of these almond delicacies, the game was on!

Mom would make mandel bread in the morning - they were usually all gone by the evening. Dad would always get the ends, the pieces that are my favorite too.

Made with almonds, mandel bread are like a biscotti in that they are twice baked to dry them out. These are not good cookies if you're a soft-in-the-middle cookie person. Nope, leave these delicious almond cookies for those of us who enjoy dunking them in a glass of milk or, better yet, a good cup of coffee.

I mostly am writing this recipe down for those of my friends who have always asked me to share the recipe. I've just never gotten around to it but, well, today, I'm finally sharing my mondel bread recipe.

You'll need jelly roll pans when making these cookies otherwise, they'll end up on the floor of your oven when you flip them on a regular cookie sheet.

I prefer these Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Jelly Roll pans. I've had 2 of these for about 7 years now and they're still in excellent shape.

You'll also want fresh vanilla extract - don't bother with the imitation stuff as it can leave a bitter aftertaste and who wants that? I always have a bottle of Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract in my pantry, ready for the next batch of french toast, cookies, or smoothies.

1. Wet your hands and shake them off so they're just damp - this makes handling the dough easier.
2. Pick up 1/3 of the dough and form it into a long log. Place on a jelly roll pan, length wise. It should almost reach the ends of the jelly roll pan. Do this with all 3 pieces of dough. Try to make the logs about the same size and height. I find that a height of around 3/4 inch bakes well. Make sure to leave some room between the logs - they will not expand but they'll bake better with the air flow around them.
3. Bake on middle rack for 25 minutes. They should be lightly browned.
4. Remove mandel bread from oven and, with a non-serrated knife, cut through on a diagonal. Make each piece about 1/2 inches wide. You should have about 45-50 pieces at the end.
5. With a spatula, loosen each piece from the bottom of the pan and flip each piece on its side. Put back in oven to brown for another 10 minutes (perhaps more) or until they're just nicely brown. Note: I like to mix the pieces around every 5 minutes so they brown evenly. Also, you will have some crumbs which is quite natural. They're delicious too!
6. Remove from oven and add a few pieces to a plastic bag containing 1 t cinnamon and 1/4 c sugar. Shake well. Remove and place on cookie cooling rack. Repeat with other pieces.
7. Let cool and enjoy your Jewish cookies with a cold glass of milk or coffee. They are so good! Oy!