L-O-V-I-N-G this recipe you guys. Another simple dessert to add to your collection! I love it for several reasons.

#1. It’s not the typical cookie recipe you see everyday. (Although I’m not hating on the classics!)

#2. It’s easy. Duh.

#3. This recipe was my great grandmother’s, who passed it along to my grandfather, then to my mom, and now to me. Aren’t these the best kind of recipes?

So, mandel bread is a traditional jewish cookie, similar to a biscotti. As I mentioned, they’re easy to make, and they yield a lot so there’s plenty of love to share! This mandel bread is different because of the secret ingredient.

Jam. Oh yes. We be jammin’. It’s kind of the magic touch in these slightly soft cookies, with a crunchy cinnamon and sugar outer layer.

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Mandel Bread

Ingredients

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour use Matzah Cake Meal if keeping passover
2 teaspoons baking powder can also use Kosher for Passover baking powder
1/2 cup currants
Raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and currants, and stir to combine.
2) Form the dough into four long strips about 2 inches wide, using as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking. Place each strand on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
3) Once each strip is made, use a knife to create a slit down the middle of each strip of dough. Do not slice all the way through the dough. Fill each slit with some preserves. Push the sides of the dough together lightly and sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar.
4) Bake for 20 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Then slice diagonally, place pieces flat on the baking sheet, sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and sugar, and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Let cookies cool completely. They will harden more as they cool and become more crisp.