Mandelbrot

For cookbook author Joan Nathan, the beauty of unearthing an old recipe is that it can connect you to your past — that’s how she feels about the Mandelbrot originally published in Food & Wine’s November 1980 issue, and which F&W named a F&W Classic — one of four holiday recipes that stand the test of time — in 2022, and interviewed Nathan about the history of her classic Mandelbrot recipe. 

The recipe for these almond-based cookies, which are like a sweeter version of biscotti, came from a woman named Ada Baum Lipsitz, says Nathan. Lipsitz, in her 80s when Nathan met her, had debilitating arthritis, but Nathan says her hands would spring back to life when she molded mandelbrot or braided challah. “I learned a lot from her,” Nathan says. “It’s your attitude about living that’s the most important.” 

Lipsitz shaped the mandelbrot by plopping the dough into loaf pans, which yields a taller cookie. Nowadays, Nathan says she’d shape the mandelbrot free-form into a shorter loaf directly on a baking sheet, but that either method will work — it’s all about what’s best for you. That’s the approach Nathan takes to the recipe itself, too. “I look at this recipe and think I would probably put in chocolate chips, just because of my grandchildren,” Nathan says, adding that she’d use high-quality bittersweet chocolate. She might replace the golden raisins with Craisins for a modern twist, and she’d definitely opt for unsalted butter, not pareve margarine, which the original called for. “Yeah, you can get mandelbrot from a local bakery,” Nathan says, “but there’s nothing like helping someone make it, listening to their stories and tasting the memories.” 

Try the cookies twice baked for an extra toasty and crisp treat, or stir in optional chocolate chips to bring these cookies to the dessert table. To toast, preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the desired amount of mandelbrot slices on a large baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly toasted on 1 side and crisp around the edges.