Claire Saffitz Makes Aunt Rose's Mondel Bread | Dessert Person

Claire Saffitz Makes Aunt Rose's Mondel Bread | Dessert Person
Mandel bread is a kind of almond cookie that Claire Saffitz describes as a Jewish Biscotti although it's only baked once. Claire recently learned that before emigrating to the United States, her great grandfather worked as a baker. This explains the handful of recipes passed down on her mother's side. One of her favorite recipes passed down is this Mandel bread recipe named "Aunt Rose's Mondel Bread." Follow along as Claire Saffitz shows you this family recipe and tries to track down the origin of this specific cookie.
#mandelbread #baking #cookies
Special Equipment:
Stand mixer
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar (10.6 oz / 300g)
2 cups silvered almonds (8 oz / 227g)
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup neutral oil, grapeseed or vegetable (8.4 oz / 238g)
1 tablespoon plus 4 cups all-purpose flour (18.6 oz / 528g)
2 teaspoons baking powder (0.28 oz / 8g)
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 large eggs (5.3 oz / 150g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Video Breakdown:
0:00 Start
0:27 Animation Jingle To Dessert Person
0:43 Origin to Aunt Rose's Mondel Bread
1:21 Ingredients & Special Equipment
2:16 Cinnamon Sugar & Toasted Almonds
5:21 Mix The Dry Ingredients
5:56 Mix The Batter
9:19 Form Mandel Bread Loaves
12:39 Bake The Mandel Cookies
14:47 Sauci Saffitz
17:30 Recap & Outro
18:46 Sleepy Archie
Thanks for watching!
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Dessert Person Cookbook
Photographer: Alex Lau
Food Stylist: Sue Li
Prop Stylist: Astrid Chastka
Video Series:
Producer/Director: Vincent Cross
Camera Operator: Calvin Robertson
Sound Engineer/Music: Michael Guggino
Editor: Hal McFall
Animation Credits:
Character Designer/Animator: Jack Sherry
Character Rigger: Johara Dutton
Background/Prop Designer: M. Cody Wiley

[@CSaffitz]

Let me know below… is it Aunt Rose’s or Aunt Tilly’s recipe?

[@vikkispence]

Claire, if that's not a bruise on your thumb nail, you should get that dark vertical line checked out by a doctor if you haven't done already

[@boredcow]

I vote Aunt Tilly. I betcha Aunt Rose got it from Tilly and has been making it and distributing it more than Tilly so that people started to think it’s her recipe…but poor Aunt Tilly received no street cred for it!!! It was hers all along 🤣 Funny enough, the same story goes for a “family” recipe. My cousin believed our curry puff was a family recipe started by my grandma and passed down to her daughters. In reality, it was the daughter who got the recipe from her best friend, and then her sister and mom copied her!

[@bdfwhhsb]

Aunt Rose!!! I loved the recipe

[@Johannablaise]

Aunt Rose! If Tilly disputed it why didn't she talk to Rose about it instead of just telling her daughter and no one else? Ultimately I think it was Jacob's recipe to start with.

[@camicri4263]

Well, let aunt Tilly dispute that with aunt Rose! 😁 Thanks for the recipe Claire! Sounds delicious! Most of the times the uncomplicated recipes are the best!

[@joshuaybanez2084]

I just wanna thank the editors for creating that family tree cause I would have never understood the genealogy involved in the recipe.

[@SearTheo]

I feel really privileged that Claire felt she could share a family recipe with us. It feels really personal and welcoming. Thank you Claire I’ll try to make these someday

[@Rodviet]

Dude they are SO amazing! I will stand by these forever, when you’re doing them you realize they are really simple to make, which is always appreciated lol

[@elizaheathen]

*petition for an episode with Claire's mom joining in the kitchen*

[@LostEveryMarble]

I will sign this petition. I NEEEEED that in my life!

[@bdfwhhsb]

Yes!!

[@KB-hs7vh]

Yes please! 🙏

[@virginiaf.5764]

And .... have her make this recipe using a hand mixer.

[@musiclover1429]

Definitely

[@pegparrish3512]

This video was an absolute treasure!! Loved the side eye from Claire when questioning some of the steps, “that’s just what we do”. 😂. Most of all, loved the voice cameo from Sauci, she’s the best! Hope there are no fisticuffs between Rose and Tilley. I think I smiled through the entire thing , thinking of family dynamics, not to mention a snoopy giraffe. This will be a delicious item for coffee this winter, thanks to all the Saffitz family!! 😘

[@Rodviet]

This is the first recipe I made last Christmas (2020) when I was gifted the book! I have to say, I hadn’t baked almost anything back then, like literally one or two things, and these were really easy to make, they came out super pretty and my husband who doesn’t eat sweets absolutely adored them!! The house smells wonderful, they’re amazing in coffee, and I will love them forever. I love the book and I love Claire 😭💕

[@persondessert9366]

“we make it this way because this is how we make it” basically describes all family recipes. ever.

[@lisaanderson135]

This is what I love about Jewish baking. Traditions, the “secret “ ingredients and the passing of the spatula to the younger generations! I have a couple recipes that were passed down on my father’s side of the family that when made still bring me back.

[@swhoward23]

I’d love to see a video where Claire makes attempts at altering this recipe as her professional experience might otherwise suggest, comparing it to Aunt Rose’s results. Will the dough fall apart if you don’t chill, uncovered for four hours? What happens if you don’t flour the almonds? Perhaps have her mother blind taste the variations!

[@noneness]

This is a hilarious idea and I totally want to watch this 😂

[@janeosun]

^^ retweet!!!!

[@rerolley]

The wildlife outside the cabin is getting more exotic.

[@RBRB431]

Omg I know what the tablespoon of flour does! It stops any heavy ingredients, like the almonds in this case, from sinking to the bottom of the loaf while baking. Saw it on Bake off once. It's very useful when making a big cake or loaf with chocolate chips too. Coat them with a bit of flour first and they won't sink to the bottom of the pan.

[@johnnytsunami420]

Yeah! I think I caught this tip on a food network show late at night and it always stuck with me. I dont always remember to coat them with flour though 😅

[@maevat4875]

Yes! But I think in this case, it doesn't make sense because you add the almond to the dough before you add the flour so the wet dough would "take" all the flour from the almond making the trick ineffective?

[@renklav4322]

@@maevat4875 This is what I'm thinking too. I mean Claire already knows that coating fruits/nuts in flour prevents them from sinking in the batter as she has shown in her other recipe, but in this one it makes no sense because the almond is added before the dry ingredients. Plus the dough is closer to a cookie dough (as Claire herself refers to this as a cookie despite the recipe literally named as Mondel Bread), not a cake like batter so even if it's not coated it just won't sink because the nature of the dough would suspend the almonds by itself.

[@sarahomma3334]

but that’s only for thinner batters. this is a cookie dough, so I don’t think sinking is a concern

[@MissBeth705]

Loved hearing you talk about how Yiddish was your great grandparents first language! It was mine as well. My grandmother, who was born here, didn’t speak a word of English until she went to kindergarten. Thankfully, Yiddish is undergoing quite a revitalization and it’s possible to learn it fluently in many places. I always love your family recipes, and how you share our Ashkenazi Jewish food culture!

[@shelleyfierce]

I need a mug that says, “The coffee’s kicking in”

[@robertsterner2145]

I loved the thing about the great Yiddish words for complaining. When my best friend had her first baby. it used to cry all the time and refused to eat--like really wailingly unhappy--and one time I said "she's such a farbrent" and my friend said "PLEASE don't call my daughter a farbrent," which was perfect because it let her kvetch about me talking about her daughter's kvetchiness.

[@bdfwhhsb]

Is Claire Jewish? She seems to have a lot of Jewish knowledge and heritage..

[@aaronsirkman8375]

@@bdfwhhsb I don’t recall if she’s ever professed to be a practicing Jew, but she’s pretty clearly of Jewish descent.

[@oddle_doddle]

@@bdfwhhsb her mother is jewish so she's jewish

[@aaronsirkman8375]

@@bdfwhhsb Also, to be clear, if someone has Jewish heritage, unless they're adopted, they're Jewish; it can get confusing, since we're a weird crossover of a religion and an ethnic group, but it's not wrong to call someone of Jewish descent Jewish, whether or not they practice Judaism.

[@bdfwhhsb]

@@aaronsirkman8375 I believe it passes through the mother. If not they aren’t Jewish. But yes heritage is important.

[@ammcd2012]

I love the connection you have to your roots. Having a Great-grandfather who was a baker makes complete sense. It is as if he is cooking through you. . .

[@DiannaBarbee]

The "steaks and the "giraffe" cracked me up!! Love that subtle sense of humor! Oh and the cookies look delish too!

[@hannahmaeponce9259]

On Thursdays, we watch Claire 💁‍♀️✨❤️

[@scastellanos7923]

So excited to make these! My mom's worked with Jewish people for the past 30 years, but it was until last year that I finally learned to make Mandel Bread with one of the women she works for (she's 80 and we've grown to love her as our Jewish grandma :). While we were baking, she told me how it was her grandma's original recipe and how she had so many great memories of her mom making them. I was honored to learn from her and grew an appreciation for her family recipe. There is so much history and love that can go into them, so thank you for sharing your's Claire! 💙

[@elisabethairey3447]

Cat cam, Chicken cam, baking and phone calls with mom to check on family traditions and lore. Perfect video. Warm fuzzies all around.

[@livebearerdad]

i think we could all go for some cozy bread and coffee while we watch claire each week

[@elenasimon1270]

We just celebrated our 48th anniversary. Mixed marriage. I just asked my husband if he'd ever heard of a Jewish cookie, sort of like biscotti, called Mondel bread. Oh, yeah, he says. I grew up on it. I don't think he ever mentioned it. Thank you, Claire. I may have to try this. 😊

[@jeannemarie6747]

Claire looks so happy making these cookies. I think the of tradition, ‘this is how we do it’ combined with family memories gives her a sense of security and comfort. Everything Claire makes is delicious and beautiful, but often there’s a little stress as she prepares. These cookies just had her confident and smiling. Thank you, Claire for sharing these family cookies.

[@nancyblair6187]

I cannot watch the video for the poppy seed almond bread without also watching this one. Backstory always makes recipes so much more special!

[@tati.l.]

Living for the family tree on the screen. It was actually super helpful. 😆

[@brandokommando]

Watching this video felt like home. The older I get, the more I understand just how much generations of culture and tradition shape who we are, and how important it is for humanity to preserve it. …Yes, I went that deep from an instructional video on mandel bread 😊

[@mliontamer1066]

My grandmother always had a tin of Mandel bread to serve whenever we would visit. In an effort to take away some mystery in the steps in your recipe, my guess is first, the adding of flour to the almonds helps suspend them in the cookie batter so they distribute better and second, the scoring of the loaves helps when eventually cutting the slabs without too much crumbling.

[@ArgentAbendAzure]

Ah really fun episode. Love the family food genealogy. 😊 Old family recipes are the best. They taste like love, and nostalgia. I've been left pans that old too. Claire may have to teach us some more Yiddish sometimes too. It's so expressive.

[@saoirsevalier]

Question for Claire: If you were to open up a bakery, what kinds of baked goods would you offer to your patrons? 🥰

[@xKIDSx]

the way that I keep coming back to this recipe everytime I have some almonds cause it's SO good

[@emmakripp8797]

Don’t you all just LOVE these videos Claire does in her cabin? Cause I love them!

[@kayleeanderson480]

I always look forward to your videos! So glad you make content on KZbin ❤️❤️❤️

[@SomeoneWhoCrafts]

I’m so thankful that Claire not only puts ounces but grams as well, for recipe measurements in the description for us Aussie folks too 💜

[@minipott]

just the most wonderful wholesome content. My favourite channel on youtube, I look forward to it every thursday!

[@05jgardner]

I feel like making a recipe where everything is counter intuitive to Claire, represents personal growth and we love it.

[@nickvanamstel]

My mondel bread is in the oven right now. Love the fact that this is a family recipe, thank you Claire,Sauci, Aunt Rose and Aunt Tilly.

[@alexiafritz4481]

Thank you so much for sharing this family recipe! I smiled throughout the entire video and can't wait to bake this wholesome treat!

[@graceb9628]

Family recipes are the best because I think they always bring back good memories.

[@MGi23]

This looks amazing, I’m really excited to take a shot at this. Thank you for sharing! ❤️

[@karenc2615]

Just found your recipe and I enjoyed the story with it. Thank you for sharing.

[@jessicaberger2619]

That convo with Sauci was every conversation with moms everywhere. ❤️

[@DrSchweppes]

So this is the first recipe I tried making from Claire, cause I felt this was an easy one to get into and it just finished baking. I think it came out GREAT, I love it. Thanks for sharing your family recipe Claire.

[@Jaim879]

I made this last week and had the same questions as to the process! But it really is a great family recipe.

[@isaacada1588]

I’d die for Claire from the cabin ❤️

[@jaketerry6142]

Thanks for another BANGER of a recipe Claire!

[@laurenschenck5355]

You did amazing job! Claire and thanks for making my Thursdays awesome 💜♥️💗💗🌈🌈💚💖💚💕💕💝💚💖💖🌈💖🌟💖💚✨💕💕❤️💛💛💝✨💖💗💓💓💓♥️💓💗💗💕💕❤️💛💛🌈🌈🌈✨✨💙💙💗💓

[@EclipseCircle]

A little almond extract seems like a nice addition to this

[@makeupisluv]

Made these over the weekend and they were a huge hit with my family! This will definitely be a recipe I make over and over. 💖💖

[@andreadejarnette6733]

You are a real gem!! My mother and her sisters had constant feuds over family recipes!! Love the vid!!!👍🎀

[@elizabethnelson8838]

Claire is such an amazing teacher, she just walks you through it in such an easy manner. I’m excited to try a few of these recipes! Thank you!

[@sallys.2707]

Unrelated to cooking but I love the fact that your mother said "love you" at the end of the call. I love when family members says love you to each other and you can feel they mean it

[@lizk1780]

Thank you so much Claire for sharing this recipe with us. I will definitely be making this, the cinnamon and almonds ate right up my alley!

[@hautemama85]

Sooo excited to see you hit 1M subs!!

[@read.edit.repeat9000]

Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made a batch this weekend and 6 pieces are left after a small family dinner. Mom even made a cup of decaf at 9:50pm just to have another one ❤

[@fern6545]

My Bubbie Rose made mandelbrot in a two part swirl. Part almond. Part chocolate. I think I'll make some this weekend.

[@thatbberg]

My bubbe did chocolate chips too! So good 😍

[@LGDEC211251]

Your receipes a are so good!!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@Adinamfeldman]

I looooove my mom’s mandel bread it’s so lovely to dip in a big cup of coffee 🥰 Jewish family recipes are everything I love flipping through my grandmas recipes with her and seeing her little notes to herself

[@salishseaquest7952]

My favorite kitchen instruction was always "because that's the way we do it". Claire, there will always be recipes we treasure that we shouldn't tweak or change (except to add a little salt). Thank you for sharing this family recipe -- contention between sisters or not. Will be giving this one a try very soon.

[@jacquelineclair7087]

One of my favorite recipes from the book! I agree that they’re much better than traditional biscotti. Can’t wait to make them again!

[@mattisakid]

These videos are really good for helping me bake more from your book. With any recipe book, it can be intimidating to see a recipe I've never heard of before with a beautiful picture and a couple pages of instructions. But when I watch a 19-minute video of you going through the recipe step-by-step, it helps me think, "oh, I could do that!" And then I do, and it's always incredibly delicious. Thanks, Claire!

[@reginacheong7007]

A sweet neighbor of mine made this for us, today we still have her recipe and have made it quite often but she called it ‘Mandelbroit’ and I still think of her now when we bake her recipe Mmmmm! Thank You Claire-I want to try your Aunt Rose’s recipe!

[@mercy2angl]

There is nothing quite like a tried and true family recipe! It is filled with history and nostalgia. The best part is that you can taste the love that goes into each tasty morsel. I look forward to sampling and sharing this treat with my family and friends. I have also learned a new Yiddish word! 😂 Thank you, Claire!!

[@daraspezial]

Feeling incredibly fortunate to have these beautiful recipes through your teaching. Truly, you are incredibly talented, warm, wise, and just wonderful. I will be making these for my friends, family and, my Jewish community KNOWING they come from pure love ❤️ thank you Claire

[@Cyndi_on_the_weekends]

I love your videos so much!! You give me courage to bake! I have made so many of your recipes since getting your book for Christmas!

[@Andreea-jo2pt]

Omg! I just picked out this recipe from the book to try next. So excited to have a video too 😊

[@applesushi]

Almonds and cinnamon are probably in my top 5 favorite flavors. I have to try this!

[@rsacode]

looks like a fancy biscotti. thank you for sharing a family recipe. there are so many weird steps in recipes and no one ever questions them. my dad has no actual idea why he does what he does but he's sure the steps can't be altered.

[@danbev8542]

This Mondel Bread is wonderful! Thank you so much, Claire, for sharing part of your heritage. I was 19 when I tasted my first bagel & immediately felt that I had a deprived childhood! After HS, I worked in a grocery store & occasionally subbed in the bakery where I first learned about Mondel bread. Homemade is SO much better! I feel a deep connection to Claire - not because of similar roots, but because I am a Baker!

[@katherinemiller4637]

This is my favorite recipe from the book! I have made these like six times!

[@adriennelucky2223]

I got your cookbook for Christmas & I was so curious about this recipe. After watching the video I really want to make it now!

[@bdellovibrioo5242]

What I love about this recipe is that it contrasts with what baking normally means to Claire - a scientific process that can be improved by experimentation - and instead is closer to what baking means to me - a magical process that turns the powdery stuff into stuff you can eat.

[@sarahgreen1984]

😍😍😍 those look phenomenal!! Thanks for sharing.

[@AussieAngeS]

I hav3 never heard of this recipe but I know those would taste absolutely amazing 😍 anything with almonds and cinnamon sugar has to be amazing !

[@marln2157]

This is so special! Thank you! :D

[@punisherino]

The editing is so good!

[@josieblue]

i love the remarks claire makes about the things she’d change it’s just so funny

[@tiamarie1833]

you always make my day when you used to be on BA. i’m so glad you’re still doing KZbin ❤️

[@rachs57]

Claire, thanks for saying you rested the dough overnight, because I would need to do the same, can't wait to try this recipe, thank you.

[@LaurenFranklin0319]

My great aunt (Auntie Viv) used to make a pretty similar mandel bread recipe. Watching this made me feel so nostalgic :)

[@KatieMalionek]

This reminds me of a biscotti version of stollen. My grandmother makes stollen every Christmas and gives some to a German bakery near us. They love it! She uses cherry frosting instead of powdered sugar, which I think is more common

[@adeleshade5066]

these are my comfort videos

[@SundayVlogger]

Cool episode, thanks for sharing some heritage

[@posti4posti436]

Loved it! I haven’t heard anyone say ” forshtunken “ in a long time boy that made me smile!

[@shopgirl2959]

Looking forward to trying this recipe! Made the Forever Brownies for Valentines Day and they were a huge hit! When are you going to release a full video again??? The shorts are fun but I need more! Totally addicted to your channel!

[@ashtonreagan4]

Love this!!

[@sharimissmanmiller1185]

I love your videos but the editing takes it to the next level! Love!!!😍

[@Oh_that_mle]

Made this for the first time and brought to Thanksgiving. I did adjust the egg and used a vegan egg substitute (liquid Just Egg) and they maybe weren’t quite as brown but everyone LOVED!! I’ve made a different mandelbrot years ago but the recipe was more traditional biscotti where you cut and bake again, rather than bake as a loaf the whole time. This one is a winner. Will definitely be making again.

[@sharimissmanmiller1185]

I love you so much!!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@Jholmberghawaii]

Being Italian, I have “the” family biscotti recipe, lol. However, these are a must try for sure. I love all flavors of biscotti but my favorite were sprinkled with sesame seeds that got toasted. Different technique and flavor but very similar outcome. Watching you dip it in your coffee makes me yearn for them. Yours or mine, I’d be happy with either. So satisfying. Btw, mine also calls for oil. Thanks Claire for sharing your family recipe.

[@kasiamizera3904]

Hi! I have baked them 5 or more times. I found them in your book. Your book is great! Thank you.

[@juliaroe3499]

I have your book and have earmarked all the ones I want to try. I love when you do a video on one that I wasn’t considering and then I’m like “oooh, now I want to try that!”

[@titezazou7963]

Would love to see more of these cloudy fluffy chicken-y friends

[@laurenschenck5355]

You are angel of baking Claire 💝💜💝💝💝💜🌟🌟💝💜💝

[@whitneysommer2351]

OMG Claire!! This brought back so many memories of my Bubbie ❤ Thank you so much for sharing

[@profpiew]

This cabin series needs to become a regular thing it’s amazing I love it

[@profpiew]

And by regular thing I mean never ending haha

[@TamarLitvot]

I’ve so wanted you to do mandelbrodt! My mother was born in the U.S. but spoke only Yiddish until she started school in first grade. Sadly, my parents spoke Yiddish only when they wanted to say something private so all I have are the curses, insults, complaints and a few other words. My mother was a terrible baker and never made mandelbrodt but other relatives did and I always loved it. Thanks for the family history and the wonderful recipe which I’ll make as soon as I have a working oven again.

[@metalkingtohorses]

I may use almond oil, and I love almonds so I will definitely try this when I'm in a baking mood, thanks Claire

[@SeverusSnape19609]

as a German I approve of the pronunciation AND the recipe

[@bassontreble]

Happy to see someone else's family ALSO spelled it as "bread" (though my family's always spelled it with an "a" instead of an "o"). I only learned a few years ago that it was supposed to have something to do with almonds though, which is how far removed my family's recipe got....😅 I did see this when flipping through the book so at some point I should try making your version

[@ericamoney6257]

oh I been waiting for this one. thanks queen!

[@MarshallKrueger]

Amazing to see Claire jeep to a recipe just because!