Cinnamon-Walnut Mandelbrot
Source of Recipe
"The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook", by Gloria Kaufer Greene
Recipe Introduction
My mom made the best mondelbrot, nothing tasted as good as hers. Unfortunately, I was never able to get her recipe, but these are delicious. I prefer to eat these with almonds in place of the walnuts.
2/3 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
or
1 cup pareve egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
-- (to 2 cups)
COATING:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Put the oil, sugar, and eggs into a large bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until they are very light and fluffy. Beat in the extracts, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add the flour, and mix it in slowly by hand or heavy-duty electric mixer until it is completely combined. Finally, stir in (or use a heavy-duty mixer at its lowest speed) the walnuts. Transfer the sticky dough from the bowl to a large sheet of plastic wrap; then wrap the dough, and press it into a large disk. Chill
the dough at least 1 hour, or until it is somewhat firm.
Line two large baking sheets with cooking parchment or coat them with nonstick cooking spray or grease them. Set them aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the coating by mixing the sugar and cinnamon together very well in a small bowl. Set the coating aside.
Unwrap the dough and divide it into four equal parts. Transfer one pan to a floured surface, and coat the entire surface of the dough lightly with flour. (Return the remainder of the dough to the refrigerator.)
Form the chilled dough into a log that is 22 inches in diameter and about 10 to 11 inches long, using additional flour as needed. Brush off any excess flour on the dough log. Immediately transfer the log to one long side of a prepared baking sheet. Repeat to make another log. Keep the two logs parallel and at least 2 inches apart, as they expand a lot during baking. Press in the sides of each log with both your hands to even the width of the logs along their entire length.
Bake the logs at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. (Do not be concerned about cracks that form on the logs.) Loosen them from the baking sheets with a metal spatula, but leave them in place to cool to at least lukewarm. When the first two logs are almost done baking, form the remaining two logs on another baking sheet, and then bake and cool them as directed.
When the baked logs are cool, carefully slide them, one at a time, off the baking sheet onto a cutting boards. Use a sawing motion with a serrated bread knife to crosswise cut each log on the diagonal into 5/8-inch-thick to 3/4-inch-thick slices (thinner slices may fall apart or become too hard when toasted). (Save the odd-shaped ends for a nosh; they will quickly disappear!)
To toast the cut slices, stand them up on the baking sheet so there is about 1/2 inch between each of them. For best results, do not lay the slices on their cut sides. Carefully, so the slices don't fall over, put the baking sheet back into the 350 degree oven. Toast the mandelbrot for 8 to 10 minutes. (They will crisp even more as they cool.)
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and sprinkle both sides of each warm mandelbrot slice with some prepared cinnamon-sugar, shaking the excess back into the bowl. Cool the coated slices completely by standing them up on a wire rack. Store the mandelbrot in airtight containers at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage. (The author often keeps extra mandelbrot in the freezer for last-minute company. They defrost very quickly on a serving tray.)
Makes about 50 mandelbrot slices.
Categories: Cookies, Jewish, Hanukkah, Holiday
Recipe typed for you by Judi Mae Phelps.
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