Freda Wander’s Mandlebrot

Submitted by: AMARA BERRY of Nevada City, CA

Amara Berry bakes her great grandmother Freda’s traditional almond Mandlebrot cookies and donates the proceeds from the sales to the UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency). 

Here is Amara’s food story—

“My Great Grandma Freda was a war refugee from Eastern Europe about 100 years ago, and because she had the support of people who cared, she and her family escaped to the United States. My mom and I would not be here now if it wasn’t for those who helped get as many families to safety as they could. So, the two of us are committed to raising at least $1,500 to help support Ukrainian families in need. We are each making cash donations, and will also be selling Mandelbrot, a traditional almond cookie from my Great Grandma Freda’s lineage, with the family recipe she handed down to my mother. My Great Grandma Freda lived a full life, taking her walks, baking Mandelbrot for her grandkids, and tending her garden well into her 90s. I hope we can help support at least a few other Ukrainian kids to have that same opportunity.”

Visit Amara’s fundraiser website for her food story and family cookie recipe.  What a powerful story and reminder of why baking for Ukraine matters today!

MANDLEBROT

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup shortening (or butter)

• 1.5 cups sugar (we usually use just 1)

• Splash of vanilla

• 4 eggs

• 3 teaspoons orange juice

• 2 teaspoons lemon rind grind

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl mix together your flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon rind.

Then in another bowl add the shortening, sugar, vanilla, orange juice, and eggs, and beat until well combined.

Then add in the chopped walnuts.

Add dry ingredients to the wet mix and let the dough chill in the fridge for a few hours.

After the dough has chilled, separate it into 3 parts, and roll each into a 12” long flat loaf, and place on a cookie sheet.

Let bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from the oven and slice each loaf into 1” pieces (cookie size), there should be around 12 per loaf.

Place cut side down and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea (: