Makes about 2 dozen mandelbrot
TO GET TO THE POINT, MANDELBROT IS BASICALLY JEWISH BISCOTTI. ALTHOUGH its origin is fuzzy, Jewish food queen Joan Nathan (bow down) has suggested the large Jewish population in Italy’s Piedmont region may have been responsible for adapting biscotti recipes to be dairy-free, and then passing it on to German friends and family. It’s possible, then, that mandelbrot first made its appearance in the region in the Upper Midwest between 1850 and 1880 when German Jews began settling in Minnesota and the Dakotas, or a maybe a bit later in the 1880s and ’90s, when Russian Jews began arriving in the Midwest. Since this second wave of Jewish immigrants was often poorer than the first, treat-baking was reserved only for religious holidays.
Mandelbrot means “almond bread” and is usually made as a plain cookie with chopped almonds, and sometimes chocolate chips. My recipe here, with pecans and lots of cocoa, is a stretch from the literal interpretation. But I have kept it true to its dairy-free roots, which is one of its best qualities. Made with oil and not butter, mandelbrot’s crunch has a tenderness to it, and doesn’t require the dunking that a biscotti often does to avoid breaking a tooth. These are sturdy and keep for weeks, making them perfect for holiday cookie tins and gifting.
1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons hot water
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup/113 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar
¼ cup/57 g vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¼ cups/160 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for dusting
⅓ cup/32 g unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup/120 g raw pecan pieces, roughly chopped, toasted, and cooled
3 ounces/85 g bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped into ¼-inch/6 mm bits
4 ounces/113 g bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), melted
Prepare the dough: Position an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F/180°C. Line a 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder in the hot water. Stir in the vanilla.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, egg yolk, and espresso mixture. Beat on high speed until lighter in texture, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir on low speed until well blended. Stir in the pecans and chocolate bits.
Generously flour a work surface. Shape the dough into a plank, about 14 inches/35.5 cm long by 2 inches/5 cm wide (the excess flour will be dusted off later). Transfer the log to the prepared baking sheet, placing it diagonally on the sheet.
Bake until firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Place the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 250°F/120°C.
Transfer the plank to a cutting board and use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour. With a large serrated knife, cut the plank on the diagonal into ½-inch/1.25 cm slices. Arrange the slices flat on the baking sheet and return them to the oven until they are sturdy and dry, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the cooled cookies with the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.