I adapted this mandel bread recipe from a family friend. I have one version to make it kosher for Passover and an­other to make it with flour for the rest of the year. In order to make the recipe below kosher for Passover, leave out the flour and baking soda and replace them with 1/4 cup potato starch and 1 cup of cake meal – both of which are available in stores around Passover time. Also, be mindful to check whether or not the oth­er ingredients you are using are kosher for Passover, particularly the dried fruit and chocolate.

You can easily multiply this recipe to be made in bigger batches. It can be dou­bled or tripled without a problem, but I would recommend keeping the individ­ual loaves on the smaller side to ensure that they bake evenly. As written, the recipe will only make one or two small loaves. The mandel bread can also be made ahead of time and frozen wrapped in aluminum foil until you are ready to defrost and eat it.

The combinations are endless. Of course, you can do just chocolate chips if you are a purist, but feel free to ex­periment. Craisins, white chocolate chips and pecans make a great combo, as do craisins, golden raisins and dried blue­berries. You can also split up the dough before adding your mix-ins and make each loaf different.

5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2/3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 and 1/3 teaspoons baking soda

a pinch of salt

about 1/2 to 2/3 cup total of mix-ins

(such as chocolate chips, white chocolate

chips, chopped nuts, raisins, craisins, etc.)

TOPPING:

2/3 tsp sugar

1/3 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease one cookie sheet with butter or cooking spray.

2. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugar (mix until they become a creamy yellow color). Beat in the eggs one at a time and add in the vanilla extract.

4. Gradually mix in the flour, baking soda and salt.

5. Fold in whatever chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, etc. you are using.

6. Form into one to two small loaves on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with the cin­namon sugar topping; don’t worry if you don’t use all of the cinnamon sugar. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them so that they don’t over-bake. Take them out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in them comes out relatively clean.

7. Let cool and then slice. Usually, slicing them on the diagonal will help the pieces to stay together. You can keep them soft or put the slices back in the oven for a couple of minutes to lightly toast them.

Contact Emily Suskin at [email protected].