Family recipes aren’t as set in stone as we all like to think. Like for example, this mandel bread.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- About 1 cup golden raisins, mini chocolate chips, and walnuts or a combination of the three (Malgieri’s recipe calls for almonds, and no raisins or chocolate chips.)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Malgieri calls for a teaspoon of almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract, but I skip it.)
- 1/2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
- 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for finishing
Instructions
- Set rack in middle level of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir well to mix.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs by hand until well mixed. Add sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in extract and oil.
- Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until all flour is absorbed. Fold in nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.
- On a lightly floured surface, press dough together. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log the length of your pan (14 to 18 inches). Place each log on pan and flatten slightly. Bake until well-risen and firm, about 25-30 minutes. Cool the logs on the pans and racks.
- Reset racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Using sharp serrated knife, slice baked logs diagonally about every 1/2 inch. Place cinnamon-sugar mixture in a shallow dish and turn the cut cookies in it. Return biscotti to the pans, cut side down, and bake until dry and crisp, up to 20 minutes longer.
- Store cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in tin or plastic container with tight-fitting container.
