I haven’t posted a recipe in a while. The kitchen has been beset with issues. The Kitchenaid mixer died. Too many beatings. We took it apart for a post mortem and evidently the gears had been worn down entirely. I got a new one. Wow does it make less noise! Listening and comprehending any conversation in the kitchen? Impossible, while the beatings were taking place before. The new mixer practically purrs in contrast. Or maybe it’s loud too, but I’ve lost so much hearing from the screaming gear grinding of the last one I cannot tell.
Next up, the refrigerator gave up the ghost. Everything in the freezer had to be chucked. Most of the stuff in the refrigerator had to be thrown out or eaten immediately as well. I hate that.
Now we’re living with my daughter’s little dorm refrigerator in the family room while waiting for the fridge to be repaired/replaced.
Anyway, even with all of this chaos and destruction I’ve made several batches this week of the rather popular Mandelbrot.
I think my mom got this recipe a long time ago from a neighbor. I’m not sure. I’ve been told they’re just like the cookies that their Jewish or German or Italian grandmother used to make. Unlike biscotti and other commercially made twice baked cookies that I’ve purchased, these are not teeth shatteringly hard. They’re great with coffee or tea, keep well, and are great in care packages.
Mandelbrot
Ingredients:
- 1 C/8 oz blanched slivered almonds
- 1 C sugar
- 1/2 C (1 Stick) butter at room temperature
- 2 tsp. Almond extract
- 4 large eggs
- 3 C Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
What to do:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown almonds on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes in the heated oven. Let them cool for another 10 minutes * If you happen to have a Trader Joe’s around, you can buy pre- roasted slivered almonds like these which lets you skip this step and move to the next part.
Cream sugar and butter. Add almond extract. Beat in eggs until the mixture is light in color. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and stir into the egg mixture. Mix until blended.
Fold in nuts. The dough will be quite sticky especially if the nuts were warm when you folded them in.
You can soldier on, and get dough on your fingers; or if the stickiness bugs you, put the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to firm up a bit before moving on.
Form the dough into loaves about 2” wide and 18” long and place on a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with cinnamon sugar
Bake these for about 30 minutes in the 350 degree oven.
Remove from oven and cool slightly. Move loaves onto a long cutting board and slice them semi diagonally into 1/2” thick slices. 
Arrange the cookies cut sides up on the same cookie sheet, sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar if desired, and bake again at 350 degrees for about another 15 minutes until toasted and dry.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies if you can keep from noshing on pieces before the entire process is finished.
Murphy is waiting patiently.
The last thing on Linen Swoon’s project plan – the show and tell – meant taking pictures. Photography what with unpredictable weather (rain in June in California?), and dogs, and boy in the way – all conspired to raise the difficulty.
I believe I get extra credit points for these factors.
piecedgoods 