![]() A sliced loaf of Mandelbrot | |
Mandelbrot (Yiddish:מאַנדלברויט),[1][2][3] with a number of variant spellings,[A] and calledmandel bread or kamish in English-speaking countries andkamishbrot in Ukraine, is a type ofcookie found inAshkenazi Jewish cuisine and popular amongstEastern European Jews. The Yiddish wordmandlbroyt literally meansalmondbread, a reference to its common ingredient of almonds. It is typically formed by baking a loaf which is then cut into small slabs and twice-baked in order to form a crunchy exterior. The cookies were popular in Eastern Europe among rabbis, merchants and other itinerant Jews as a staple dessert that kept well.[4]
Its precise origin is unknown, as is its historic relationship withbiscotti, a similarItalian cookie. It is made with oil and not butter and so ispareve and can be served as part of theShabbat dinner.[5]
The basic ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs and oil. Additional ingredients vary between bakers, but common additions includealmonds,walnuts,cinnamon,chocolate chips or dicedcandied fruit. Mandelbrot is calledkamishbrot in Ukraine, and the two terms are often used interchangeably in the United States.[6]