A RECIPE FROM OUR
A RECIPE FROM OUR
EDITOR!
This recipe makes a double batch, because you must share! Yield is ~ 4 dozen cookies. The Stecklers usually make two or three double batches.
Preheat oven to 350 F
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine Wet and Dry separately, then combine both together.
Grandma Ray’ s Mandelbröt
My husband, Matthew, and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past June, but we’ ve actually been together for 32 years. That means, for 32 years I have been enjoying the Steckler family tradition of Mandelbröt each Holiday season. Mandelbröt is German for“ almond bread,” but these sweet treats are not bread, oh no. They are cookies. Addictive cookies, in fact. With chocolate chips, whole, toasted almonds, and colorful sprinkles on top, I can’ t imagine any Holiday season without them. My own extended family looks forward to them every year. One year, we tried to give my parents one box to share between the two of them and that did not go over well!
We love them so much, we gave boxes out as meaningful wedding favors for our guests.
Matthew’ s father, Charles, learned how to make Mandelbröt from his mother, Mildred, who learned from her mother, Ray. He passed on the tradition to Matthew, and they both shared it with our son, Elliott. At 11 months old, we got him started on sprinkle duty, and he has now graduated to mixing and shaping the dough. Traditionally, they were treats shared with friends and family during Hanukkah, but as the love for these biscotti-like cookies has grown, they’ re now given out as Christmas and New Year gifts, too. We try to get together every year to make them as a family, but sometimes, we have batches going in our two separate kitchensone in Vermont, one in Upstate New York. As for me and Charles’ s wife, Ginger? We get to hang out and eat snacks while the men bake, taste-testing along the way. Sometimes, they let us shake the sprinkles on, though. That’ s the best part!
2. Knead by hand to make dough, using ore flour as needed to reach dough consistency.
3. Cut and roll out into dough“ snakes” 2 ½ to 3 inches wide and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
4. Make egg wash with 1 egg plus a drop of warm water. Brush egg wash on each snake and then shake multi-colored sprinkles on top.
5. Bake once until puffed up and par-baked, when they are just starting to get golden, approximately 15-20 minutes.
6. Allow to cool and cut the snakes into diagonal biscotti wedges.
7. Pro-tip: the cooling process is a great time to enjoy your favorite festive beverage and have a toast with your baking buddies!
8. Reset cookies flat on cookie sheets and bake again until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.
9. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or milk. Always share!!
WET INGREDIENTS DRY INGREDIENTS
• 12 Eggs + 1 for Egg Wash
• 1 ½ cup Canola Oil
• 6 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 12 oz. Semi-SweetChocolate Chips
• 12 oz. Whole Almonds, toasted
• 8 cups Flour(+ more when kneading dough)
• 3 cups Sugar
• 6 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Multi-colored Sprinkles( rainbow nonpareils work best) manchester life manchester magazine life holiday magazine / winter 2025 202533 33