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Another twist on my mom's traditional vanilla nut mandel brot ~ this was a special request for an eBay customer to send as a gift to relatives for Hanukah. I used blue raspberry jello powder in part of the vanilla cookie dough to color and flavor it (but blue Kool-Aid powder would also work). Then drizzled on some vanilla glaze and used some tiny Star of David sprinkles. Her order was for 2 dozen, and the recipe makes at least 4 dozen, so I put blue & white snowflake sprinkles on the rest of them.
The step-by-step photos above are from my Butter Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Mandel Brot, but assembled the exact same way.
BLUE RASPBERRY VANILLA Swirl MANDEL BROT
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened ……..…………………..1 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg blue Kool-Aid ~or~ 1-2 TB blue jello powder
2 eggs ………………………………………...………….........…… 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract ……………………………...……...……. 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
***
Preheat oven to 350. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray). Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and extracts; mix well. Stir in flour and baking powder. (Mixture will be very stiff). Divide dough in half, leaving half in the mixing bowl and beat the blue jello/Kool-Aid in until it's evenly mixed in (you could add a couple drops of blue food color if you want a deeper blue).
Divide the white portion into 3 parts (as equal as possible) ~ and also divide the blue portion into 3 parts. Roll or pat 1 white and 1 blue portion into a log (almost the length of the 15" cookie sheet), right next to each. I put 2 mixed logs on one cookie sheet; and 1 mixed log on the other cookie sheet.
TIP: If it seems a little sticky, you can put the dough into logs on your pan with a tablespoon ~ then smooth them out (with a dampened finger), so they're all even (about 1-1/2 to 2 12" logs, about 6" wide for biscotti ~ 3 smaller logs, about 2" wide for mandel brot). If it isn't that sticky, gently roll the dough into 1-1/2 large log or 3 thinner ones.
With your fingers (which works best if you keep them damp, so I do this on the counter next to the sink), twist & turn the blue dough into and around the white dough so that it's somewhat swirled and smooshed together. Now flatten down the logs with your fingers and even up the sides, tops & bottoms.
Bake them for 10 minutes ~ then switch the position of the baking sheets in the oven, and bake another 10 minutes.
Cut a tiny slice off of each end (throw away or eat it.) Slice into about 1/2" to 3/4” wide slices while hot, and flip onto their sides (I use a long, thin serrated knife). All 3 logs should fit onto 1 cookie sheet now. Return to oven and bake another 9 minutes or so. ** Cool and drizzle or spread with glaze. I do about 8-10 slices and then add sprinkles (so the glaze doesn't harden up by putting the glaze on too many at a time).
Makes about 50 slices of mandel brot ~ or about 2 dozen larger biscotti.
VANILLA GLAZE
about 3/4 cup powdered sugar (or more, if needed)
Italian Sweet Cream or French Vanilla liquid coffee creamer ~or~ milk or cream
Whisk whatever liquid you're using into the powdered sugar ~ 1 tsp. at a time ~ until it's a nice, smooth drizzle consistency. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar or liquid.
The step-by-step photos above are from my Butter Pecan Cinnamon Swirl Mandel Brot, but assembled the exact same way.
BLUE RASPBERRY VANILLA Swirl MANDEL BROT
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened ……..…………………..1 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg blue Kool-Aid ~or~ 1-2 TB blue jello powder
2 eggs ………………………………………...………….........…… 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract ……………………………...……...……. 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
***
Preheat oven to 350. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray). Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and extracts; mix well. Stir in flour and baking powder. (Mixture will be very stiff). Divide dough in half, leaving half in the mixing bowl and beat the blue jello/Kool-Aid in until it's evenly mixed in (you could add a couple drops of blue food color if you want a deeper blue).
Divide the white portion into 3 parts (as equal as possible) ~ and also divide the blue portion into 3 parts. Roll or pat 1 white and 1 blue portion into a log (almost the length of the 15" cookie sheet), right next to each. I put 2 mixed logs on one cookie sheet; and 1 mixed log on the other cookie sheet.
TIP: If it seems a little sticky, you can put the dough into logs on your pan with a tablespoon ~ then smooth them out (with a dampened finger), so they're all even (about 1-1/2 to 2 12" logs, about 6" wide for biscotti ~ 3 smaller logs, about 2" wide for mandel brot). If it isn't that sticky, gently roll the dough into 1-1/2 large log or 3 thinner ones.
With your fingers (which works best if you keep them damp, so I do this on the counter next to the sink), twist & turn the blue dough into and around the white dough so that it's somewhat swirled and smooshed together. Now flatten down the logs with your fingers and even up the sides, tops & bottoms.
Bake them for 10 minutes ~ then switch the position of the baking sheets in the oven, and bake another 10 minutes.
Cut a tiny slice off of each end (throw away or eat it.) Slice into about 1/2" to 3/4” wide slices while hot, and flip onto their sides (I use a long, thin serrated knife). All 3 logs should fit onto 1 cookie sheet now. Return to oven and bake another 9 minutes or so. ** Cool and drizzle or spread with glaze. I do about 8-10 slices and then add sprinkles (so the glaze doesn't harden up by putting the glaze on too many at a time).
Makes about 50 slices of mandel brot ~ or about 2 dozen larger biscotti.
VANILLA GLAZE
about 3/4 cup powdered sugar (or more, if needed)
Italian Sweet Cream or French Vanilla liquid coffee creamer ~or~ milk or cream
Whisk whatever liquid you're using into the powdered sugar ~ 1 tsp. at a time ~ until it's a nice, smooth drizzle consistency. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar or liquid.
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