Name: Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 34
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour (385 grams); 1 ¼ cup white sugar (250 grams); 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon of salt; 3 eggs; 1/3 cup oil (120 milliliters); 1 tablespoon almond extract; 1 teaspoons vanilla; 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, dairy free (150 grams)

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Mandelbroit, or mandel bread, means "almond bread" in Yiddish. Traditionally, it is a cookie very similar to almond biscotti. Nowadays, though, it is common to make chocolate chip mandel bread.

chocolate chip mandel briot on a plate next to black coffee

The years I lived in Israel as a child were filled with mandel bread.

Not because I got them at the bakery like my brothers get chocolate rugelach, but because my mom made them all the time.

She would send us to school with them and chocolate chip cookies, and come snack time, there wasn’t a girl more popular than me.

My mom also has a very generous heart and would make enough to share with the neighbors.

Once they cooled, she would send my little brother Jason and I to deliver them.

We were her little bike messengers and we’d ride up and down the street with plates of mandel bread.

Traditionally, mandel bread is made with delicious pieces of chopped almonds. Which makes sense since mandle means almonds.

However, growing up, my mom always made these chocolate chip mandel bread cookies.

Chocolate chips are an American creation, so chocolate chip mandel bread is a hybrid of cultures.

Chocolate chunks were first added to cookies in 1937, and chocolate chips were first created in 1941.

No doubt, the chocolate chips began being added by Jewish European immigrants at that time, or later by their American children.

Personally, I sill love biting into traditional mandel bead with almond pieces.

However, I think there is something nice about having a cookie that is both Jewish and American.

After all, I myself, am both Jewish and American.

HOW TO STORE COOKIES

Let cookies cool completely. Place in a resealable bag or an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to a week.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKIES

Let cookies cool completely. It is best to freeze cookies on a tray so that they freeze as individuals. Then, move to a resealable freezer bag.

If this is not practical for you, place cooled cookies in a resealable freezer bag and freeze that way.

Cookies will keep for up to 3 months. After that, the quality begins to degrade.

When thawing baked cookies, remove from bag and let sit at room temperature.

If desired, you can gently reheat thawed cookies to mimic that fresh-baked taste and texture: place them in a 275°F or 135°C oven until soft.

Recipe TIP:

Bake on a middle rack. If you choose to bake each loaf separately, or to double the recipe, only bake one sheet at a time. I’ve noticed when I fill the shelf up, unless there is a good amount of room in between the baking sheets, the bottoms cook too fast.

Mandel Bread SNAFU:

If you cut chocolate chip mandel bread right out of the oven, the chocolate will smear.

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Yield: 34 cookies

Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread

Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread is a Jewish-Americanized version of the classic almond cookie eaten by Jews in Europe.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (385 grams)
1 ¼ cup white sugar (250 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
⅓ cup oil (120 milliliters)
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, dairy free (150 grams)

Instructions

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add eggs, oil, almond extract, vanilla, and chocolate chips to the same bowl. Mix until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 175°C.
On a baking sheet with parchment paper, shape two loaves about 2 or 3 inches (3 or 7.5 centimeters) wide. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to 250°F or 120°C.
Let the loaves cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaves diagonally about every inch.
Place the pan back into the oven. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 134mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Brenda

Thursday 6th of January 2022

Sounds great but I'm new at this and one thing isn't clear to me. Do I lay the cut pieces on their sides or let them stand up before baking the second time? Thanks!

ElissaBeth

Wednesday 6th of December 2023

Honestly, whatever you prefer. I've seen it done both ways and the results were delicious in either case

Esther Kopel

Sunday 20th of October 2019

Just checking. Is it really 1-1/2 tablespoons of baking powder or was it meant to be teaspoons? Thanks!

I can't find my original had written recipe so I'm going to assume it was a typo... though I have gotten emails thanking me for it coming out so good so my guess is that it would be fine either way. I've adjusted the recipe to be teaspoons instead of tablespoons. Thanks!

stephanie rager

Thursday 23rd of May 2019

I am soooo bummed! I was just about to make these!!! I had all the ingredients ready and then I read through the directions only to find that there is no baking temperature anywhere for when you first preheat and start cooking them. Only the next step to turn the temperature down. So sad. So bummed.

Friday 24th of May 2019

Thanks for the catch Stephanie! I fixed the typo :)