apricot/almond mandelbrot with rye and cornmeal

makes about 40 cookies (2-1/2 inch size)

Note: Take the time to rub the orange zest and sugar together for a deeper orange flavor. If almonds aren't your favorite, feel free to swap walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts. The combination of small and large pieces add textural and visual interest to the cookies. Chill the logs minimum of 30 minutes before baking to prevent cookies from spreading. Each log yields 20 cookies; the recipe can easily be halved if you need fewer but well wrapped, the baked cookies freeze beautifully.
 
2 ounces/57 grams/½ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1½ cups/295 grams granulated sugar
zest from one large orange; approx. 1½ tablespoons
1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
¾ cup/76 grams medium or dark rye flour
¼ cup/34 grams stone-ground cornmeal
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup/2½ ounces unblanched whole almonds (skin on) coarsely chopped
¾ cup/3 ounces unblanched sliced almonds
⅓ cup/2 ounces/56 grams candied ginger, diced
½ cup/95 grams/3½ ounces dried apricots, diced
 
additional all-purpose flour for dusting
egg wash made from 1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Melt butter and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, rub together orange zest with sugar.
 
Combine dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, rye flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk together.
 
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs on low speed, gradually adding the orange sugar. Add the melted/cooled butter and vanilla, mixing until combined.
 
With mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing only to blend.
Add the whole and sliced almonds, candied ginger and dried apricots. Mixture will be thick and sticky. Use a flexible scraper to transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper dusted with all-purpose flour. Dust your hands with flour and gently fold in any fruit, ginger or nuts that need incorporating into the dough. Divide the dough in half; you can eyeball it but best to weigh it. Shape each portion of dough into a log measuring about 14 inches long by ¾-inches wide. (Some bakers like to use a little extra flour to shape the logs while others prefer to wet their hands with a little water and skip the flour. Totally up to you but take care not to add too much flour.) Transfer each log to a parchment lined baking sheet; you can fit both logs on a half sheet pan but make sure to leave about 2-inches of space between them. Brush logs with egg wash. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake on middle rack of oven for 25-28 minutes until lightly golden and centers feel set and not doughy. Transfer baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let mandelbrot cool about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

​The mandelbrot will be fragile; take care when transferring them, (one log at a time), to a cutting board. Use a long serrated knife to angle-cut each log into ½-inch thick slices. (The ends make a nice baker's snack.) A sawing motion is better than pressing straight down. Lay slices flat on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to firm up as they cool so best not to over bake.) Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container layered between strips of parchment paper. Cookies will keep for up to 3 weeks in the airtight container at cool room temperature. For longer storage, best to freeze.