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Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Mandel Bread

Dark chocolate Hazelnut Mandel bread (Kosher for Passover)

As Passover quickly approaches, I am reminded of the many reasons I look forward to it every year.  It’s not because I have an affinity towards the bread of affliction, or because I get to use the fancy tablecloth, but because my mom makes her famous (at least to me) chocolate chip hazelnut mandel bread. Try as I may, like a salty, golden potato chip, I just can’t have one. This Jewish answer to Italian biscotti is the stuff dreams are made of. Sure, you can make them all year round, but part of their allure is that Mom only makes them but once a year.

Mandel Bread cast of characters.
Mandel Bread cast of characters.

These cinnamon-sugar-coated logs crumble ever so gently, like a toppled sand castle in your mouth. And while I have come to expect nuggets of chocolate in most of my favorite desserts, the hazelnut chunks are like my very own buried treasure. Understandably, hazelnuts are not inherently Cuban, but they certainly illicit strong memories for me of my maternal grandmother. She always had a bowl of whole nuts on the coffee table. Two nutcrackers hanging from the side invited any guest to have at the assortment.  My Abuela and I always knew hidden amongst the large ominously large walnuts and the oblong-shaped almonds, the crowned jewels of the bowl were the small golden shells that covered the most delicious hazelnuts. Best of all, cracking the shell to one made a distinctly sharp sound. I often offered to crack her a handful, just so I could take pleasure in the pitch.

Mandel Bread Dough

To me, it’s no accident that my mother adds hazelnuts to her mandel bread, as they are clearly the cream of the nut crop. My favorite is when she manages to slice the cookies in such a way that the center of a nut shows, making it simply irresistible. To make my stash last all 8 days of Passover, I keep a bag stored in the freezer, taking out only one or two pieces at a time. This usually does the trick. Sometimes. Ok, hardly ever.

 

Mandel bread, lining up to be eaten.
Mandel bread, lining up to be eaten.

Served alongside a nice cup of tea, these cookies will make you forget it is Passover.

 

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Mandel Bread (Passover)
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish
Serves: 12
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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Delicious served with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
  • 2¾ cups matzoh cake flour
  • ¾ cups potato starch
  • 1 cup, plus 4 tbs sugar
  • 1½ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • 1 cup chopped hazelnuts
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon with 4 tbs sugar, and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, starch and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together with a fork the oil, 1 cup of sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add one cup at a time of the flour mixture until just combined.
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
  5. Separate the dough into 3 balls. Spread each ball into an oval on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle dough with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes. After baking, and while they are still a little bit hot, slice into ½ to ¾ inch wide pieces.
  7. Turn pieces over on sides, and sprinkle again with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  8. Lower the oven temperature to 200 and bake again for 10-15 minutes. Cool before serving.

 

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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Veggie Bowties

Paremsan crusted tilapia with roasted veggie bowties

Every now and again, I find myself struggling to get out of the habit of cooking the same handful of dishes on repeat. Granted, I’m lucky, because I have found those sure-fire recipes that are nutritious and enjoyed by my family, but on the other hand, I love to explore in the kitchen, as well. Sometimes, when I don’t have a lot of time to kill, I build a culinary challenge around not leaving the house. What can I make with the ingredients I find in my pantry, fridge and freezer? Fortunately, as the daughter of my mother, I’m usually well-stocked, and can often whip together something great.

That’s exactly what happened to me last night. When I checked the fridge, I noticed that I had a crisper bin full of vegetables that were not going to last much longer, and I knew I had to use them soon. The lightbulb instantly went off, and I peeled, chopped, and seasoned my way through a ratatouille-style melange of roasted veggies.

Before and after the roasting process.
Before and after the roasting process.

A quick peek in the freezer produced three tilapia fillets, which would make a perfect protein pairing. In all honesty, fish is rarely my first choice protein, but in a pinch, I reminded myself of its health benefits, and moved on to the next phase. Plus, there are few things that aren’t tasty when coated with garlic-infused breadcrumbs and the sharp bite of good parmesan cheese.

preparing tilapia
Preparing the fish. I used my toaster oven, since the fillets fit in a smaller pan.

To round out and elevate the meal, I took a peek in my pantry, and decided to fancy up dinner with whole wheat bowtie pasta. (Bowties are fancy, right?) Lacking a sauce, I created my own by combining the roasted vegetables with a dollop of light cream cheese and a splash of the starchy pasta water I reserved before I drained the bowties. The result was a luxuriously creamy sauce that tasted rich, but boasted a low calorie count.

I learned to cook on the fly like this from my mom, who often created gourmet masterpieces with whatever she had on hand, and always had a name for whatever dish she concocted: Blank a la Romi, the blank being filled with whatever it was she made. If she were over for dinner last night, she certainly would have affectionately called this little number Tilapia a la Jenny.

For all you fellow non-fish lovers, I feel compelled to share that for many, many years, I wouldn’t touch fish even if you paid me. I had a strong aversion to the odd texture and caustic aroma, and was always skeptical of anyone who tried to convince me that any certain fish wasn’t actually “fishy.” It’s true that I’ve become better about adding fish into my diet, mostly because of  its health benefits, but I rarely enjoy it. That being said,  I polished off the third fillet and extra veggie pasta for lunch today. It was that good!

 

 

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Veggie Bowties
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 3-4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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Another recipe to help non-fish lovers introduce more fish into their diet.
Ingredients
For the Tilapia
  • 3 tilapia fillets
  • 1-2 tbs. olive oil
  • ½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbs. fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the pasta
  • 2 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped into large chunks
  • 1 container of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 3 tbs. olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 oz (or half a box) of farfalle pasta
  • 2 tbs. light cream cheese
  • ½-1 cup starchy pasta water
  • 2 tbs. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the Tilapia
  1. Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 375 degrees.
  2. In a shallow dish, thoroughly mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
  3. Add tilapia fillets to a plastic bag, and drizzle with olive oil. Massage the fillets to make sure the oil coats them on all sides.
  4. Drudge the oiled fillets in the breadcrumb mixture, and lay on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until fish is flaky and breadcrumbs have slightly browned.
For the pasta
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Arrange zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and use your hands to thoroughly coat. Roast vegetables for 40 minutes or until they are tender and slightly browned.
  3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package, taking care to reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Add the roasted vegetables, cream cheese, and about ½ cup of the pasta water.
  4. Stir together, and add more pasta water if the sauce is not thin enough.
  5. Top with grated parmesan.

 

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