Passover Chocolate Chip Kamish Bread
I am absolutely delighted to share my family’s signature Passover dessert with you! So what is kamish bread? Also called mandelbread or mandelbrot (depending on your family’s origin), this cookie is similar to a biscotti, but somewhat softer. It is also twice-baked like biscotti, but not long enough to yield a crispy texture. Mandelbread (meaning almond bread in Yiddish) is traditionally made with almonds. Not being huge fans of nuts in desserts, we always make ours with chocolate chips.
Kamish bread has been enjoyed at our seders and throughout the holiday seemingly forever. My sister and I learned how to make kamish bread from my mother (who was an extremely talented cook and baker) and I have since taught my husband, daughters and now our granddaughters how to make them so they too can share in this beloved annual baking tradition. Baking multiple batches of kamish bread has become a treasured family project that we excitedly look forward to.
Yield: about 6 dozen
Kamish bread has been enjoyed at our seders and throughout the holiday seemingly forever. My sister and I learned how to make kamish bread from my mother (who was an extremely talented cook and baker) and I have since taught my husband, daughters and now our granddaughters how to make them so they too can share in this beloved annual baking tradition. Baking multiple batches of kamish bread has become a treasured family project that we excitedly look forward to.
Yield: about 6 dozen
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ½ cups Passover cake meal see MPM Mini-Bites
- ¾ cup potato starch see MPM Mini-Bites
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cane sugar
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 6 large eggs
- 24 ounces chocolate chips about 3 cups
Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Equipment
- 2 cookie sheets ungreased
Instructions
Dough
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together cake meal, potato starch and salt.
- In bowl of electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together sugar and butter.
- On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition.
- On low speed, add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, blending well.
- By hand, fold in chocolate chips.
Assembly and Baking
- Shape dough into 4 logs, patting dough to hold together and flatten. (2 logs per cookie sheet). If dough is sticky, lightly coat your hands with cake meal and continue shaping,
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until logs are just slightly browned on bottom. (do not overbake)
- While kamish bread is baking, mix together topping ingredients.
- With a sharp knife, slice each loaf horizontally into pieces. (about ¾-inch wide each)
- Turn each slice over on its side. Sprinkle slices with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Continue baking for about 5 minutes or until kamish bread slices are just slightly toasted. (we like ours soft. If you prefer a crispier texture, toast for a few minutes longer.)
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: dough may be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator. Let dough come to room temperature before using. (about 20 minutes) Store baked kamish bread at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. May also be frozen for up to 4 months.
Where can you buy Passover cake meal and potato starch? About 6 weeks before Passover, most major grocery chains will have a display of kosher for Passover ingredients. If you don’t see them, just ask or look for them online.
Got nut-lovers in your family? Feel free to replace some of the chocolate chips with nuts of your choice.
Kid and grown-up approved! Kamish bread is great for anytime snacking during Passover as well as for tucking into lunchboxes. And if you have ‘lil chefs at home, these cookies would make a fun baking project. So get out the aprons, a mixing bowl and spoon and have a blast!
Obviously not the healthiest of desserts! However, if you follow Meal Planning Maven regularly, you know my belief is if you eat cleanly most of the year, you can choose to mindfully indulge on special occasions. When reasonable, I do tweak traditional recipes, swapping out particular ingredients with appropriate substitutions. However, to preserve the flavor, texture and appearance of certain time-honored recipes, sometimes I choose to let things be and just enjoy!
If you ask a Jewish cook which holiday challenges them the most in terms of cooking and baking, the most common response is Passover! However, not for me! I embraced the challenge years ago and even created a Passover cookbook with all kinds of favorite recipes of mine as well as those of my family and friends. In time, I hope to share more of my delicious Passover recipes on my website.
Other favorite holiday desserts you may like are: Passover Apple Crisp and Dark Chocolate Oblivion Torte.
