This biscotti-like cookie is derived from the Eastern European/Jewish cookie Mandelbrot. Australians adopted it, and renamed it Mandel-Melba, due to its textural similarity with the Australian favorite Melba toast (named, of course, for the opera singer Dame Melba). We’ve used pistachios here, with lemon and orange zests to brighten the flavor. They’re not super-sweet; they’re more of a cookie to have with your tea or coffee. The key to this is to slice it super-thin so it crumbles in the mouth.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 13 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 12 hr |
| Cook: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 4 1/2 dozen cookies |
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing pan
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup sugar
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons (about 1 tablespoon, packed)
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 teaspoons, packed)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole raw peeled pistachios
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust it with flour.
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl.
- In another medium bowl, rub the citrus zests into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a bit of the fruit color. Beat the eggs into the sugar with a wooden spoon until blended. Stir in the flour mixture to make a smooth, sticky but pourable batter. Stir in the pistachios. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the surface lightly with a spatula.
- Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 40 to 45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean, and the loaf will look like a not so great pound cake. Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a rack for 1 hour.
- Wrap the loaf in plastic and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Slice the chilled loaf as thin as you can — 6 to 8 slices to the inch. (It helps to mark the loaf lightly with a serrated knife every half-inch and use that as a guide.) Lay the slices flat on 2 baking sheets and bake until brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Take care — the cookies can go from pale to dark brown quickly.)
- Let stand overnight or for at least 12 hours on a rack to cool and crisp up. Serve. Store in a well-sealed jar or other container.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 54 servings |
| Calories | 49 |
| Total Fat | 2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 14 mg |
| Sodium | 16 mg |
Reviews
The perfect little something when you need a little something-something. These are easy to make. Two changes I would make are add more almond flavoring and add some dried cherries. Gorgeous and tasty
Just finished making these for Christmas 2020 and they are spectacular! Just take your time and go step by step. In between I made other batches of cookies to maximize my time
These cookies were delicious but somewhat difficult to make. I kept the loaf in the fridge over night and then popped it into the freezer for a few minutes before I got to slicing. I may have baked the loaf too long because I just had a heck of a time slicing it thin and even. It was almost impossible! But the cookies tasted good, regardless of my issues. I’m looking forward to trying the recipe again.
I’ve made these for two years running and I really like them. They are very time consuming to do (like biscotti), but I don’t mind doing a fussy cookie around the holidays. They are really crisp and light– definately for someone who wants a delicate flavor rather than a bold one.
These turned out fantastic. Nice and light and crispy! I’ve made a couple of batches with different variations using spices and dried fruit and even a savoury version with preserved lemon and chilies.
People who have no imagination and are hopeless in the kitchen should not post reviews and comments as they are not helpful to anyone.
People who have no imagination and are hopeless in the kitchen should not post reviews and comments as they are not helpful to anyone.
These may be some of the best tea cookies I’ve ever made. They are light, not too sweet, and as described in the recipe, simply crumble in your mouth. Slicing the cookie loaf is a little time-consuming, but well worth the effort. I was able to make 60 cookies out of 1 batch, all of which were quickly consumed at my dinner party. I definitely plan on making these year-round. Thanks for the recipe!
These cookies are wonderful. I plan on serving them for breakfast on Christmas morning while we open our gifts. They would also be good for Santa Clause with some eggnog or wassail.
I’ve been getting the 12 days of cookies since they began. This is the best year yet. The selections of cookies were different, unusual, and delicious! Thanks Food Network, you’ve made our holiday cookies even better this year!
I have never rated any recipes; however, I read the ratings before I make them. Some of these ratings are insulting to the chef and frankly, useless to the reader. Before, I would just see the number of stars. Now, I read them more to make my judgement. I found this year’s recipes be more versatile than ever. I cannot wait to see where the next day recipe is from. This one is no exeption. Please go to the specialty stores to find the pistachio nuts. I made them, they are good.
I have to agree with others, this was my first time with these recipes and was excited about getting them, these weren’t very desirable to take the time to make. A big disappointment for me and I guess others too. Sorry.