Mandelbrot

"Mandelbrot” means "almond bread ", so it’s no surprise that these crunchy, not-too-sweet cookies, which most would recognize as biscotti, are bursting with almond flavour, with just a hint of lemon and cinnamon.

The oil based dough is easily mixed in a bowl with a spoon, but does require refrigeration as it’s very soft and sticky. The chilled dough is formed into logs and baked; sliced and baked a second time with a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.

I’ve made biscotti before that have been baked at low heat for a long time. This recipe calls for a moderate heat initially and then a short stint in the oven for the sliced cookies at a considerably higher temp. I was skeptical but they dried out nicely and became brown and crispy.

This wonderful recipe, which hails from Poland, brings back fond memories of eating mandelbrot with my mother and aunt while visiting that country years ago. As they were then, they’re delicious with an afternoon cup of tea.