Long before pomegranates became known as a healthy superfood – linked to everything from improving cardiovascular health and reducing cholesterol to preventing cancer – they were a mainstay of Jewish cuisine.
Named in Deuteronomy 8:8 as one of the seven agricultural species cultivated in ancient Israel (along with wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives and dates) and mythologized to contain 613 seeds in every fruit (to correspond with the number of mitzvot/commandments given to the Israelites by God), pomegranates are, without doubt, one of Jewish tradition’s most well-known, sacred and celebrated foods.
As a symbol of fertility and love, the pomegranate shows up multiple times in the Jewish canon’s most famous love poem, “The Song of Songs.” For example (4:3): “Your lips are like a crimson thread; your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil [gleams] like a pomegranate split open.” Not surprisingly, given its connection to love, the red, spherical fruit also regularly shows up as an artistic theme on ketubot, challah covers and other marriage and family-focused Judaica.
Pomegranates’ peak season generally falls somewhere in the autumn around the High Holidays, which makes them the perfect accompaniment to Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) or the harvest holiday of Sukkot. Some families hang the red orbs in their sukkahs as decoration. Others incorporate their juicy red seeds into both sweet and savory dishes – everything from pomegranate-glazed chicken to salads speckled with lush, bright red seeds.
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In that spirit, this mandelbrot recipe drizzles the traditional Ashkenazi almond cookies (the name translates from Yiddish to “almond bread”) with a bright pink pomegranate glaze. The sweet-tart glaze adds color and personality to the light and crispy mandelbrot and helps an otherwise humble cookie stand out on the dessert table. A generous pour of sweet, golden honey folded into the batter also adds to these cookies’ appeal, and makes them a lovely plus one to any High Holiday spread.
Note: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge or freezer for longer.
Honey Pomegranate Mandelbrot
This recipe transforms traditional mandelbrot with honey and a tangy pomegranate glaze, perfect for the High Holidays.
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan butter, softened
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- ¼ cup mild honey
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup roasted, unsalted almonds, chopped
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more if needed
- 1½ Tbsp pomegranate juice, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl, beat the butter and ¼ cup of the sugar together on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until pale and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the honey, eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. The mixture might look curdled at this point, but will smooth out when you add the flour.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two stages, beating on low until just combined and a soft dough forms. Fold in the almonds with a spatula.
- Divide the batter into two equal mounds on the baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space in between the mounds. Using lightly floured hands, pat and press the batter into long, flat rectangles (about 9×4 inches and ½ inch thick).
- Bake until puffed and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool for about 1 minute. Slice both of the rectangles vertically down their middles. Then, slice them horizontally into 1 inch-wide pieces.
- Turn the pieces on their sides and sprinkle evenly with 1 Tbsp of the remaining sugar. Bake for 10 more minutes, then remove the baking sheet again. Flip the pieces to the other side and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake until the cookies are firm, 5-10 minutes more. (Be careful not to overbake them – they continue to crisp up as they cool.)
- Remove from the oven and set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl. Add the pomegranate juice and stir to form a thick but pourable glaze. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, stir in a little more pomegranate juice. (Likewise if it is too runny, stir in a little more sifted confectioner’s sugar.) Generously drizzle the tops of the cooled cookies with glaze and set cookies back on the racks to allow the glaze to set.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge or freezer for longer.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi
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