Passover Mandel Bread with Chocolate Chip

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These Passover Mandel Bread with Chocolate Chip cookies undergo a double baking process. This technique results in a crunchy, crisp, and light-textured cookie that pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Looking for more Passover-friendly recipes? Try my Flourless Passover Chocolate Cake, Matzo Rolls, and Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What is Mandel Bread?

Mandel Bread actually comes from the Yiddish name Mandelbrot, which means almond bread. However, it is a type of twice-baked cookie (similar to Italian Biscotti) with roots in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. These Mandelbrot Cookies are also known as Mandelbrot Cookies and Kamish Bread.

Ingredients Overview:

*The full recipe is in the recipe card below!

Cake meal: Cake meal is finely ground Matzo that has been processed into a flour-like consistency. This means that a cake meal has a finer texture than a Matzo meal, making it suitable for use in cakes, cookies, and other delicate desserts.

Potato starch: A fine white powder that is extracted from potatoes. Potato starch is commonly used as a thickening agent in cooking and baking, as it can absorb and hold onto liquids, resulting in a thicker consistency.

Oil: Use oils that don’t add a strong flavor, like Canola or vegetables.

Sugar: For sweetness.

Vanilla and orange zest: Add flavors and bring out the flavors of other ingredients.

Eggs: Bind the cookies and also help with leavening.

Almonds or walnuts: Raw, unsalted, and coarsely chopped.

Pulse in a food processor until coarsely chopped up, or use a sharp knife.

Chocolate chip: Make sure to use kosher-for-Passover chocolate chips or chop up a Kosher-for-Passover chocolate bar into small pieces.

Pro-Tips

If the dough is sticky: Wet or oil your hands. This way, shaping the dough into the pans is much easier.

To slice the logs: Use a serrated knife in a back-and-forth motion for best results. Cutting the cookies in a rectangular shape or at an angle is a personal preference. Slicing at a larger angle will result in longer cookies, and a smaller angle will produce smaller cookies.

FAQs

How to Make Mandel Bread Crunchy?

The final texture of the cookie depends on the total baking time. For a slightly softer texture, reduce the time of the second bake. Similarly, if the cookies are too soft, increase the duration of the second bake.

How Thick Should I Cut My Mandel Bread?

The thickness of the biscotti is a personal preference. Keep in mind that cutting them thicker or thinner will affect the final yield. A thinner cut will yield more biscotti versus a thicker one.

How to Store Mandel Bread?

Store at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 4 weeks. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How Do I Know When the Cookies Are Done?

After the first bake: The edges will be browned, and the center will be slightly soft and should bounce back when you press on it lightly.
After the second bake: The best way to know if the cookies are well baked is by applying pressure to the center of the cookie. It needs a few more minutes in the oven if it is soft. Just know that the cookies will harden when they cool.