My grandmother’s cherry walnut mandelbread is a sweet, nostalgic treat

My mother gave me a treasure for my birthday this year — my grandmother’s handwritten recipe book. It doesn’t look like much: It’s small, with a worn plastic cover and yellowed loose-leaf pages barely clinging to binder rings. Her writing is practically illegible — more of a scribble, really — and ingredient amounts and directions are missing.

But still, it’s one of my most precious possessions. I can feel my grandmother’s presence when I read it, and it gives me insight into how her mind worked, what she enjoyed, and how she nourished her family. The book is filled with traditional Jewish dishes — matzoh balls, rugelach and blintzes — but it also reveals her culinary adventurousness, with Portuguese-, Chinese-, Italian-, Irish- and Greek-style recipes, and it shows her dedication to cooking healthfully, with a wealth of vegetable and seafood dishes, as well as many baked goods made with whole-wheat flour, bran and wheat germ.

These delightful mandelbread are one of the first recipes I made from her collection. Also known as mandelbrodt, the cookies are often called Jewish biscotti because the two are essentially the same — twice-baked, crunchy treats, ideal for dipping in coffee, tea, milk or even wine. Although the word means “almond bread” in Yiddish, my grandmother used walnuts in hers, but any type of nut would work. I had to fill in some amounts and steps missing from her recipe, and I tweaked the ingredients a bit, but I think she’d be happy with how these turned out.

These mandelbread have a satisfying crunch, ample nuttiness and gentle sweetness, with a sweet-tart chew from dried cherries and a floral hint of orange zest. Made with whole-wheat flour, healthy oil and less sugar than is typical, they are better for you, too.

I will be making them again for Mother’s Day brunch this year, not only because they’re absolutely delicious, but also because I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the day than honoring my grandmother and her culinary legacy.

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Cherry Walnut Mandelbread

2 cups (250 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour, white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1½ teaspoons baking powder

⅛ teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs

½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

⅓ cup (80 milliliters) mild olive oil or neutral oil, such as canola

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

1 cup (95 grams) walnut halves and pieces, finely chopped

½ cup (75 grams) dried tart cherries, preferably unsweetened, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and oil on medium-high speed until lightened in color and slightly frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and orange zest, and beat again on medium-high to incorporate.

If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture on low speed in two additions, until you have a soft dough. (If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon or flexible spatula.) If the batter is very sticky, stir in more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the walnuts and cherries on low to combine, being careful not to overmix.

Have ready a small bowl of water near your workspace. Divide the dough into two equal mounds (about 350 grams each) on the sheet pan, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. With dampened hands, shape each mound into a long, flat loaf about 8 inches long by 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. The loaves may lightly crack; this is okay.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaves cool for 10 minutes. (Keep the oven on.) Use a thin, flat spatula to transfer the loaves to a cutting board and slice each into 12 pieces, about ¾-inch thick, with a serrated knife. Arrange the slices cut side down on the same sheet pan and return to the oven for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for 5 minutes more, or until firm. (They will crisp up further as they cool.) Transfer the mandelbread to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Makes 12 servings.

Substitutions: For whole-wheat pastry flour, use equal amounts of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours. For orange zest, use lemon zest. For walnuts, use almonds, pecans, or other nuts or seeds. For dried cherries, use other dried fruit, chopped as needed. Storage note: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Where to buy: Unsweetened dried tart cherries can be found at natural food stores and online.

Nutritional information per serving (2 pieces, using unsweetened tart dried cherries) | 242 Calories: 30g Carbohydrates, 12g Fat, 2g Fiber, 5g Protein, 2g Saturated Fat, 72mg Sodium, 12g Sugar

— Ellie Krieger