Almond and Orange Zest Mandelbrot for Passover

• ground almond↗180g g
• fine matzo↗100g g
• eggs↗2
• sunflower oil↗60ml ml
• fine sugar150g g
• orange↗1

  zest

• dark chocolate↗90g g

  coarsely chopped into ~1 cm pieces

• blanched almonds↗80g g

  coarsely chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 150 °C (130 °C for convection/gas 2). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the ground almond, matzo and a pinch of salt, then set aside.

2. 2

   Beat the eggs, oil, and sugar with a whisk attachment for 3‑4 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and airy. Add the orange zest, then fold in the ground almond, followed by the chocolate pieces and blanched almonds.

3. 3

   Divide the dough in half. If it sticks, wet your hands with cold water and shape two long logs about 5 cm wide. Place them on the prepared sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 140 °C (120 °C for convection/gas 1). Transfer the baked dough to a board and cut each log diagonally into slices 1.5‑2 cm wide with a serrated knife.

4. 4

   Flip the parchment, return the mandelbrot to the sheet and bake for another 15 minutes. Then flip again and bake for a further 15 minutes until the exterior is firm to the touch while the interior remains soft. Watch that they do not burn. After cooling they become even crispier. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, remove the parchment and transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.