The recipe for The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread has been requested by everyone who has ever tried it! Mandel bread is a traditional Jewish cookie, related historically to the Italian biscotti. Like biscotti, mandel bread (also known as mandelbrot or kamishbrot) is baked in a loaf shape, then sliced and often baked again for crunchiness. This recipe for The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread replaces the usual all-purpose flour with cake meal (flour made with very finely ground matzoh) and potato starch. They are baked only once to create a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookie that is more than slightly addicting!
Many years ago, there were newspapers. They were made of paper and ink. Newspapers could be delivered to your home or purchased from a drugstore or a metal newspaper box on street corners. When you held a newspaper, the ink would sometimes rub off on your fingers. When you went off to college, your mother or grandmother would clip articles of interest out of the newspaper and mail the article to you. In an envelope. From the post office. The newspaper was the main source of all kinds of information. Besides the obvious reporting of news, the classified section was the go-to source for job searches and real estate. The weekly food section, shared recipes that became family favorites. The recipes were cut-out and stored safely in a recipe box, where those yellowing bits of newsprint became treasured inheritances passed from generation to generation.
Of course, there are still some newspapers. We get three delivered to our house daily. My kids grew up watching their parents read newspapers, but today they both get their information from the computer. I used to clip articles for my son when he went off to college, but he told me to stop. He could find the same article on the internet. However, a newspaper often shares information you might not have considered googling.
In those days gone by, there were not only city newspapers, but weekly free local papers as well. In the food section of our local paper, the now defunct St. Louis West County Journal, I found this recipe for The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread. I never would have searched the internet for a mandel bread recipe (Passover or not) because my previous exposure to mandel bread was my grandmother’s nut filled cookies that I stayed as far away from as possible. The word mandel is the German and Yiddish word for almond. However, The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread has no nuts! Instead it’s pure melt-in-your-mouth cookie and lots of chocolate chips. While other Jewish kids were complaining about the lack of good cookies during Passover, my kids were happily munching on The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread, wishing that I would bake it more than once a year!
I haven’t tried to adapt this recipe using non-Passover ingredients. Though I have seen many recipes for non-Passover mandel bread that use all-purpose flour, the texture is going to be more like a crunchy biscotti. My one attempt to create a gluten free version of this mandel bread using almond flour, didn’t turn out as planned. The dough sort of melted in the oven, resulting in a tray filled with Chocolate Chip Almond Cookie Squares, a new Passover favorite!
The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread is guaranteed to be a hit at your seder table and throughout Passover. The relatively dry texture of mandel bread keeps the cookies tasting delicious for at least 7 days.
Wishing everyone who celebrates a Happy Passover! Chag Pesach sameach! ! חג פסח שמח
The World’s Best Passover Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 6 large eggs
- 2 ¾ cups matzo cake meal
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup potato starch
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips I use Whole Foods’ Fair Trade 365 brand
- 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake meal, salt, and potato starch. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Gradually add the cake meal mixture. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Wet hands minimally and form the dough into 4 loaves on the prepared baking sheet. Each loaf should be about 2” wide. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until just turning golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cut on baking sheet while still warm, into 1/2” – ¾” slices.
- Use a spatula to move mandel bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 7 days.
Packing Tips
Wrap 3-4 slices of mandel bread, cut sides together, in plastic wrap. Place wrapped bundles snugly in a plastic storage container or freezer weight ziplock bag.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
These look absolutely addicting! Nothing like a crunchy cookie with hot tea or coffee. Thanks!
saltandserenity says
Loved the nostalgic look back at newspapers!! We still get 2 papers delivered to our house daily as well.
I have never baked anything with matzoh cake meal. I have always associated it with awful Passover baked goods that aren’t worth the calories. You may have convinced me otherwise.
Have a happy and healthy Passover!!
Handmade in Israel says
Wonderful! No more time to bake today but I might make during the week. Chag sameach!
The Monday Box says
Thank you, Lisa! This mandel bread recipe is the first Pesach dessert I bake each year because of it’s long shelf life, very handy when there is so much cooking and baking to do. 🙂 Chag sameach!
Chris Scheuer says
You have made me want to make these Wendy, they sound amazing. I do have one other mandelbrot recipe and it’s an all time favorite. It seems to me, with my limited knowledge of mandelbrot, that it’s not as dry as biscotti. And the demise of the newspapers is a bit sad to me, so much history there. Thanks for bringing back lots of memories!
The Monday Box says
Thanks, Chris! I haven’t had mandel bread made with regular flour, but I agree that the texture is different. More solid, less air, maybe even less crunch. But also possibly more addicting! The demise of the newspapers makes me feel my age! My kids hardly know what I am talking about when I refer to sections that used to be in the paper!
Ashley@CookNourishBliss says
These look completely fantastic Wendy! And you know I love biscotti … so now I need to try this! Happy Passover to you!
The Monday Box says
Thanks, Ashley! The texture is different from biscotti…more solid, less airy…but equally delicious and dunkable! Wishing you a peace-filled Easter!
Julie Christiansen says
I enjoy your writing as much as your recipes! Great post. This looks tasty!
The Monday Box says
Thank you, Julie, for the lovely compliment!
Ilana says
I’ve been using this same recipe for a number of years. It’s fantastic. But this year my husband, daughter and I are following a specialized diet and won’t be able to eat these mandelbrot. However, after reading your blog post I have decided to try baking these with some alternate ingredients which we can eat. I’ll do my baking experiment keeping in mind that your batch made with almond flour became squares which I’m sure we’d enjoy as well if my batch turns out differently than expected. Thanks for the inspiration. Happy Pesach.
The Monday Box says
I would be interested to hear how your experiments went, Ilana! If you have time, please email so I can learn from your efforts.(wendysmondaybox[at]gmail[dot]c0m) It really is trial and error when it comes to alternate ingredients, isn’t it?! When I use almond meal for my daughter, I can’t taste the results, because I can’t eat nuts! All of the Passover recipes I have shared (prior to this mandel bread) have been gluten free and most have been nut free. Lots of subbing and juggling! Happy Pesach!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
Never heard of Mandel bread before. They sure look like biscotti! All I need is a few cup of hot coffee now! 😉 Have a wonderful Easter!
The Monday Box says
Learning about different ethnic foods is one of my favorite parts of blogging and reading blogs! 🙂 Mandel bread is excellent with coffee! Wishing you a peace-filled holiday!
Megan says
As a college freshman, I asked my grandmother to write out copies of some of her best recipes for me, on old notecards. I knew I’d want them someday, written in her own hand. She laughed at me at the time, but now that she’s passed, I’m so glad I persisted! Thanks for sharing your yummy recipe at Merry Monday!
Smiling Notes says
Your recipes are always a visual treat! Now if only I could eat through the screen 😀 Thanks a lot for linking yet another delicious post at the Family Joy blog link up party! xoxo
April J Harris says
What a lovely treat with a cup of coffee or tea. Thank you so much for sharing your Mandel Bread recipe with us at Hearth and Soul, Wendy. Scheduling to pin. Hope to see you at the party again this week!
Miz Helen says
Your Mandel Bread looks fabulous, we will love it! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Maisy says
Oh wow, this sure looks like the world’s best mandel bread! If I knew a way to make this vegan-friendly, I would make this asap 🙂 Dammit. Looks heavenly though! I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend!
*Maisy
The Monday Box says
Thanks, Maisy! I never realized until you pointed it out, how difficult many/most Passover baking recipes are for vegans! The fat is easy to replace, but without using leavening, Passover recipes rely on eggs for lift. Now I am curious to see what I can figure out! I see vegan baking experiments in my future! 🙂
Katherines Corner says
Wendy this looks delish! I invite you to share your wonderful recipe at my TFT link party ( you can link up until midnight) Hugs and God Bless
The Monday Box says
Thank you, Katherine! I’d love to join you and share at your TFT link party!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
I’m so glad you shared a Passover recipe. Those of us who don’t celebrate focus so much on Easter we tend to forget there is another huge holiday going on. And thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party.
Ellen Warmstein says
My supermarket does not have potato starch. Can I substitute with corn starch or potato flakes?
Thanks
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Ellen. Though I haven’t tried it, I think corn starch would work. Both starches are very similar. I wouldn’t use potato flakes because it is dried potato pulp not starch and I have no idea how that would effect the recipe. I hope this helps. I’d love to know how your mandel bread turns out. 🙂