Rosh Hashana Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins this evening at sundown. I was thinking about doing an apple and honey and chocolate recipe, but none came to mind. I was thrilled to find this recipe for one of my favorite foods: Mandelbrot.

Mandelbrot is very similar to biscotti in its twice baked. Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot is very special, and actually my favorite. O.K, technically it's not mandelbrot since the word itself mean almond bread, but adding the chocolate chips makes these heavenly. Sheryl Julian has a wonderful and easy recipe at the BostonGlobe. Read the entire article here.

Sheryl offers up some unusual tips and comments. Mandelbrot is usually baked in logs, then sliced crosswise, and the cookies are baked again on their sides to dry out. In this recipe, you spread all the batter on a baking sheet, and then cut the rectangle into bars after the first bake. Also before baking, Nussbaum sprinkles the top of the dough with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, which adds a great smell. She also adds more cinnamon after baking.

Do read the article in which Sheryl Julian attributes the recipe to Debra Nussbaum who attributes this recipe to Sandy Brenner. Each time someone bakes something is tweaked. Always experimenting, Sheryl Julian, herself, tried this recipe three times with different results.

Make Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot for a Sweet New Year!

Butter (for the pan) or margarine if you keep kashrut and want to serve after a meat meal
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten to mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 3 tablespoons sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet (11-by-17 inches) or jelly roll pan (10 1/2-by-15 1/2 inches). Butter the pan. If using the larger sheet, you’ll need a 15-inch sheet of foil. Fold up the foil to make a thick 1-inch wide band; butter the band on one side.

2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With a whisk, stir well to combine them.

3. In another larger bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to stir them well. Add the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

4. Stir in the chips.

5. With a rubber spatula, spoon the batter into 6 mounds onto the baking sheet. With an offset metal spatula, spread the batter to cover the entire jelly roll pan or all but 2 inches of the larger sheet. The rectangle of dough will cover the smaller sheet (the dough is 10 1/2-by-15 1/2 inches) or almost all of the larger sheet (the dough is 11-by-15 inches). For the larger sheet, press the buttered side of the foil against the empty edge of dough to keep it in place.

6. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

7. Bake the dough for 20 to 25 minutes or until it is browned. Remove the sheet from the oven (leave the oven on).

8. Set the sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

9. Remove the foil band, if necessary, and trim that edge to make a straight side.

10. To make 64 short cookies: Make 7 horizontal cuts and 3 vertical cuts in the dough (you’ll have 32 bars). Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the bars to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each rectangle vertically in half (to make 64 pieces); each bar is 1/2-inch wide.

11. To make 48 medium cookies: Make 7 horizontal cuts and 2 vertical cuts in the dough (you’ll have 24 long bars). Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the bars to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each rectangle vertically in half (to make 48 pieces); each bar is 1/2-inch wide.

12. To make 32 long cookies: Make 7 horizontal cuts and 1 vertical cut in the dough (you’ll have 16 long bars). Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the bars to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each rectangle vertically in half (to make 32 pieces); each bar is 1/2-inch wide.

13. Return all the bars, cut sides up, to the baking sheet. It’s OK to pack them tightly on the sheet. Bake the bars for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly toasted.

14. Leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin. Adapted from Debra Nussbaum