(Jewish Group) A novice baker has a soft, fresh take on your grandma's mandel bread

[Behind the Aegis]

Stephanie Berlin didn’t always want to launch a Jewish dessert brand. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Berlin wanted to create a product that would be inclusive; a brand that everyone could relate to. But what Berlin soon found was that her modern take on traditional mandel bread had the power to bring everyone closer together.

Unlike a typical mandel bread — a popular Ashkenazi cookie that’s traditionally baked twice — what Berlin calls “Wandel” bread is only baked once. That means that it’s softer, richer and a bit more decadent than the crunchy, almond-rich biscuits your grandma might serve on Shabbat (“mandel” means “almond” in Yiddish and German). Berlin grew up eating her mom’s version, but, after some more research, Berlin realized that the recipe might not be unique to her family, and that there are similar versions from around the world.

“Wandel is a modern version of a very traditional, universal treat,” Berlin, 34, told the New York Jewish Week. “A bite of Wandel reminds us that we’re a little more similar than we are different.”

Berlin’s idea to make Wandel into a full-fledged business fell into her lap over the past year, during which she felt burnt out from working in film for many years. She was already baking it for her friends, who were immediately taken by the treat.

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Recipe is at link in excerpt.