Mandelbrot
Based on the recipe "Mama Irene's Cinnamon Mandlebrot" from the book Cooking Jewish.
Original recipe supposedly was for 7 dozen and had a LOT of cinnamon-and-sugar, both inside and out, making the cookies very, very sweet.
Measurements for full recipe are excluded because of changes that Liz has made to match the recipe more closely to what she remembers Grandma G's cookies to be like.
UPDATE, Dec 7, 2010: See an incomplete recipe of Grandma's Mandelbrot.
Use parchment paper (2 sheets is helpful).
Baking the cookie logs is NOT as persnickety as the recipe makes it seem.
INGREDIENTS
Make 3 dozen with small logs of dough.
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup white sugar, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, prepped ahead of time
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
OPTIONAL: 1 cup semi-sweet choc chips
PREPARING THE DOUGH
1. Chop the almonds and toast on medium heat in an ungreased skillet until fragrant, just a few min. Remove from pan, spread on a plate to cool quickly, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar. Remove 2 Tbl and place in an airtight container for the next day. Set the other part aside.
3. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and larger portion of cinnamon-and-sugar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. It will have very thick consistency, like porridge.
5. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. The dough will be very sticky.
6. Stir in the toasted almonds and any choc chips you are using.
7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Day
8. Preheat oven to 350; racks on BOTH the top third and bottom third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Divide the dough into two portions. On a lightly floured cutting board, shape each piece of dough into logs about 2" shorter than the length of the baking sheet. Each log should be fairly narrow, 2-3 inches wide. They will spread a bit as they cook.
10. Sprinkle the top of each log with 1/2 to 2/3 of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.
11. Place the two logs on the parchment-lined baking sheet on the LOWER rack and set timer for 12 minutes.
12. After 12 minutes, move the sheet to upper rack and rotate it from front to back. Set timer for 13 minutes. The tops of the logs should be firm to the touch.
13. Keep the oven on and bring out the baking sheet. Slide the parchment paper onto the cutting board. Cool for 1-3 min (OPTIONAL: line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper).
14. Using a serrated-edge knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. (NOTE: I typically cut the logs on the original parchment paper, then slide the sheet back onto the cookie sheet.)
15. Place the sliced cookies with cut side down back onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the remaining cinnamon-and-sugar onto the face of the cookies.
16. Bake for 10 min and then turn the cookies over onto their unbaked side. Sprinkle the last of the cinnamon-and-sugar.
17. Return cookies to oven, turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in the cooling oven for about 20 min.
18. Remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the baking sheets on wire racks. The extended cooling period helps the cookies dry out and get very crunchy.
Original recipe supposedly was for 7 dozen and had a LOT of cinnamon-and-sugar, both inside and out, making the cookies very, very sweet.
Measurements for full recipe are excluded because of changes that Liz has made to match the recipe more closely to what she remembers Grandma G's cookies to be like.UPDATE, Dec 7, 2010: See an incomplete recipe of Grandma's Mandelbrot.
Use parchment paper (2 sheets is helpful).
Dough needs to be refrigerated overnight.
Baking the cookie logs is NOT as persnickety as the recipe makes it seem.
INGREDIENTS
Make 3 dozen with small logs of dough.
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup white sugar, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, prepped ahead of time
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
OPTIONAL: 1 cup semi-sweet choc chips
PREPARING THE DOUGH
1. Chop the almonds and toast on medium heat in an ungreased skillet until fragrant, just a few min. Remove from pan, spread on a plate to cool quickly, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar. Remove 2 Tbl and place in an airtight container for the next day. Set the other part aside.
3. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and larger portion of cinnamon-and-sugar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract. It will have very thick consistency, like porridge.
5. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. The dough will be very sticky.
6. Stir in the toasted almonds and any choc chips you are using.
7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Day
8. Preheat oven to 350; racks on BOTH the top third and bottom third of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Divide the dough into two portions. On a lightly floured cutting board, shape each piece of dough into logs about 2" shorter than the length of the baking sheet. Each log should be fairly narrow, 2-3 inches wide. They will spread a bit as they cook.
10. Sprinkle the top of each log with 1/2 to 2/3 of the remaining cinnamon-sugar mix.
11. Place the two logs on the parchment-lined baking sheet on the LOWER rack and set timer for 12 minutes.
12. After 12 minutes, move the sheet to upper rack and rotate it from front to back. Set timer for 13 minutes. The tops of the logs should be firm to the touch.
13. Keep the oven on and bring out the baking sheet. Slide the parchment paper onto the cutting board. Cool for 1-3 min (OPTIONAL: line the baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper).
14. Using a serrated-edge knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. (NOTE: I typically cut the logs on the original parchment paper, then slide the sheet back onto the cookie sheet.)
15. Place the sliced cookies with cut side down back onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the remaining cinnamon-and-sugar onto the face of the cookies.
16. Bake for 10 min and then turn the cookies over onto their unbaked side. Sprinkle the last of the cinnamon-and-sugar.
17. Return cookies to oven, turn the oven off, and leave the cookies in the cooling oven for about 20 min.
18. Remove the cookies and let them finish cooling on the baking sheets on wire racks. The extended cooling period helps the cookies dry out and get very crunchy.
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