Soft-Bake Cinnamon Sugar Mandelbrot
מאַנדלברויט·(mahn-del-broht)
Afternoon Nosh at the Bakery Case
If you grew up walking into an old-school Jewish bakery, you know the smell—a warm, intoxicating cloud of toasted almonds, vanilla, and heavy cinnamon. Mandelbrot is the Ashkenazi cousin to Italian biscotti, but with a critical difference: grandmothers used oil instead of butter to keep the cookies dairy-free and impossibly tender. This recipe skips the long, dehydrating second bake entirely, relying on a brief flash in the oven to caramelize the heavy cinnamon-sugar crust while leaving the inside cakey, yieldingly soft, and exactly as it tasted in the old neighborhood.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- ground cinnamon1 1/2 tbsp
- neutral oil1 cup
- granulated sugar1 cup
- large eggs3
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- almond extract1/2 tsp
- all-purpose flour3 1/4 cup
- baking powder2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- semi-sweet chocolate chips1 cup
- slivered almonds1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk the oil and one cup of sugar in a large bowl until combined, then beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.
The almond extract is non-negotiable here; it provides that unmistakable bakery-case aroma.
- 02
Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula.
Stop just before the white streaks disappear, then fold in the chocolate chips and almonds to keep the dough tender rather than tough.
- 03
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
This is a sticky oil-dough. Chilling makes it manageable to shape without needing to add extra, crumb-drying flour.
- 04
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
While the oven heats, whisk together the remaining half-cup of sugar and the ground cinnamon in a shallow dish.
- 05
Divide the chilled dough in half and use slightly wet hands to form two ten-by-three-inch logs on the baking sheet.
Generously coat the tops and sides of both logs with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, patting it gently so it sticks.
- 06
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the logs are puffed and firm to the touch, then let them cool on the pan for exactly 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F. Do not rush the resting period. Slicing too hot causes structural collapse; slicing too cold causes shattering.
- 07
Transfer the warm logs to a cutting board and slice them straight across into three-quarter-inch thick cookies.
Dip the sticky cut sides of each cookie into the remaining cinnamon sugar and return them cut-side up to the baking sheet.
- 08
Return the cookies to the 250°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to flash-bake.
We aren't drying them out like traditional biscotti; this simply sets the wet sugar into a beautiful, slightly crispy crust while leaving the interior perfectly soft. Let them cool completely on the pan before eating.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Because this dough relies on oil rather than butter, the crumb stays exceptionally moist. These will taste exactly the same on day five as they did on day one.