Aunt Diane's Mandle Broit

This recipe has been passed down through my mom's side of the family. It started with my great aunt Diane (probably from her mother), was passed down to my mom and now to me. This is probably one of the first desserts I learned to make while growing up. This recipe is a traditional mandle broit (bread) recipe with jelly, nuts and cinnamon in the middle. The cookies themselves are something you shouldn't feel guilty about eating because the dough is made with oil!

Aunt Diane's Mandle Broit

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2-2 1/4 cup flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon
jelly (I always use apricot preserves)
chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Beat eggs in a large bowl (a mixer is not required). Add the sugar, oil, flour, baking powder and vanilla to the eggs and mix until a smooth dough forms. It should be firm and not stick to your hands. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour. Divide the dough in half and use your hands to shape the dough into balls (this makes it easier to form into logs on the baking sheet). Shape each ball into a log that extends the length of the sheet using your fingertips. Now flatten each log by using your palms to a width of about 3 to 4 inches. Add as much jelly as you like, evenly spreading it on the flatten dough (make sure to concentrate the jelly in the middle and do not spread it out to the edges). Add the chopped nuts. What I normally do is make one log with nuts and one without for those in my family who do not like nuts. The last ingredient is cinnamon; sprinkle it over the jelly and nuts. Now the logs must be reformed by pulling up the sides of the dough so that they meet in the middle. Pinch both sides of the dough closed so no holes are visible or else the jelly will bubble out them during baking. Once both logs are formed, sprinkle the tops with more cinnamon and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the logs cool for 15 minutes. Slice the logs into good sized cookies, about 1 inch in width. Flip the cookies onto one side, so the jelly middle is facing up and sprinkle with even more cinnamon. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until desired crunchiness.