One of my favorite holiday treats is Mandel Bread. I've made mandel bread since I was a child with my mother. Today, it's a tradition in our house to make multiple batches and deliver them to our neighbors for Christmas and Hannukah. Mandel Bread or "Brodt", as I knew it as a child, is a cookie popular with 19th century eastern European Jews. It is a softer version of the Italian, Biscotti known to keep and travel well, making it a wonderful gift.

This is the recipe I have used for the last 30 years. It's from a neighborhood cookbook created for a charity... the best kind of cookbook with traditional and well loved family recipes! (Pictured here on our adorable plaid melamine plates)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp almod etract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips

cinnamon for sprinkling

How to bake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farhenheit

1. Beat eggs with sugar.

2. Separately mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add extracts, oil flour mixture to egg and sugar mixture.

4. Add chocolate chips

5. Shape dough into two long strips on a cookie tray.

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

7. Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

8. Remove and slice. Return to oven for 10 minutes on each side.