Cooking with Denise! This week: Pistachio, almond and cranberry mandelbrot

Mandelbrot comes from the Yiddish word meaning almond bread and, like biscotti, it is partially baked, sliced and then baked again, and it is loved by Ashkenazi Jews.

This version, which is studded with almonds and jewel-like pistachio and cranberries, is both crunchy and colourful and perfect with morning coffee or after-dinner coffee.

Makes: 50 mandelbrot – Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 35 mins

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F / Gas mark 4.
2. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.
3. Mix together the flour, sugar, vanilla essence and baking powder.
4. Add the egg gradually – you may not need it all as a stiff dough is what is required.
5. Knead in the apricots, figs, cranberries, pistachios, almonds and the lemon zest and juice.
6. Divide the dough into three. Using your hands, roll into sausage shapes, about
   30cm long and about 5cm wide, then flatten slightly. Add a dusting of more
   flour if the mixture is sticky.
7. Place on the baking tray, spaced well apart, then bake for 25 minutes or until pale golden.
8. Remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/ Gas mark 3.
10. Using a serrated knife and cutting at an angle, cut each ‘sausage’ into very thin slices.
11. Lay the slices on the baking tray and cook for a further 10 minutes or until dry and firm.
12. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients 

• 350g wholemeal plain flour
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 medium eggs
• 50g dried apricots – roughly chopped
• 75g dried figs – stalks removed
• and roughly chopped
• 50g dried cranberries
• 100g pistachio nuts (shelled weight)
• 50g whole almonds – roughly chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon