I don’t know what took me so long to blog about my love of Molly Yeh’s cookbook, Molly on the Range. Well, actually I do. It’s been a crazy hectic year since baby #5 was born and I’ve been trying to keep my head above water and maintain my sanity while I manage food (blogging) and family. It’s been months since I fangirled Molly at her book release party and I’ve read her book cover to cover and tried quite a number of her cookbook recipes since!
**GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW**
Molly’s blog, mynameisyeh, has been a huge inspiration to me as a blogger. First off, her beautiful photography always pushed me to take my own photography to the next level, and the way that she elevates Middle Eastern food is everything to me. We share a love of tahini and marzipan and I secretly dream about the day that I will open a bread and breakfast on my own little farm in Upstate New York (I may have even called a couple of places that had a for sale sign up this summer!).
Every time I think about the urge to redesign my blog (“because that’s what bloggers do”), I’m reminded that Molly became one of the most popular bloggers on the web without ever redesigning hers. You don’t need a fancy lifestyle blog with a gazillion sections to be successful. You just need delicious food, beautiful photography, and a really awesome personality (which is why I actually READ Molly’s entire cookbook cover to cover, instead of just looking at the pictures like I normally do).
I love how Molly on the Range is part autobiography, part cookbook. It’s an awesome and hysterical journey of a true foodie finding love in both the kitchen and her personal life. In true Molly style, she sent out review copies along with her own sprinkle mix, adorable tatoos and a handwritten note. And she put some of that panache in the book too – with a coloring page, shnitzel costume instructions and fun illustrations throughout the book.
The recipes range from Midwestern favorites like hot dishes to popular Middle Eastern foods like bourekas, hummus and malabi. Molly shares recipes from both her Asian and Jewish heritage, including matzo brei, latkes and fusion dishes like shnitzel bao buns and scallion pancake challah. Of course I’ve marked all the Israeli dishes in the book, especially the tahini and marzipan ones, including this delicious biscotti/mandel bread.
The idea of folding in chunks of store bought marzipan is a brilliant one, and not the least bit overwhelming. The almond flavor is surprisingly subtle, and when I served these up for my daughters birthday recently, everyone loved them, marzipan lovers and haters alike.
Speaking of my daughter’s birthday, I attempted my very first marzipan covered cake for her cake smash recently and it was a huge success! I’ve been drooling over Molly’s marzipan coated cakes for the longest time and I was so excited to work with it. I can’t wait to share the results in an upcoming post.
I’m also super excited to be giving away a copy of Molly on the Range to one lucky reader! To enter to win the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment below letting me know which BIB recipe you’ve been enjoying this summer.
2. For an extra entry, tag a friend on the giveaway post on Facebook or Instagram.
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents (for international entries, prize can only be shipped in the U.S.). Winner will be chosen at random at 10:00 AM EST on Sunday, August 13th, 2017.
Marzipan Biscotti
reprinted with permission from Molly on the Range
7 to 8 ounces marzipan or almond paste
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup flavorless oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract, optional—I didn’t have any
½ cup cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips, optional, see notes above
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Sprinkles or pearl sugar, for sprinkling
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Cut the marzipan into ½-inch pieces and toss with the powdered sugar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, and then whisk in the vanilla and almond extract, if using. Use a wooden spoon to gradually mix in the flour mixture, marzipan, and cacao nibs or chocolate chips. (This dough can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and place on the lined baking sheet. Mold the dough into two 14 x 3-inch rectangles about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle the tops with a few pinches of sea salt and pearl sugar or sprinkles.
Bake until the centers are set and the bottoms are lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250ºF. Let the mandel bread cool slightly and then use a sharp serrated knife to cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Turn the slices on their sides and bake for 20 more minutes, or until desired crispness. Let cool slightly and enjoy with coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.
Other Marzipan Recipes:
marzipan date truffles
marzipan apple crisp
3-layer rainbow cookie cake
date and almond hamantaschen
The fig salmon is hands down my favorite!!!
Unstuffed cabbage! I just took out the leftovers from the freezer for the easiest post Nine Days meal.
Hasselback salami, of course
I loved the Mongolian beef I made this summer
your recipe for lazy meatballs in always in my rotation!!
Been enjoying eggplant parmesan and portobello tuna melts. Both great veggie forward meals that are delicious and satisfying.
BIB recipe I’ve been eating up is your Asian chicken lettuce wraps! They’re decisions :)
Honey roasted zaatar chicken of course!!! My fav!!!!
Definitely her challah liege waffles.
mmmmm these look good!
to be honest, I haven’t tried any of your recipes yet but never too late!
Too many delicious recipes to name ! We love the falafel cauliflower poppers and portobello mushroom tuna melts!!! Thanks for all your amazing recipes!! Your blog is my go-to for recipes 😍!
I would love to try Molly’s cookbook. Your refried beans tacos have completely changed Taco night in my house forever. We are obsessed!!!!
Salami babka and hassleback salami are definitely favorites this summer! I’ve also tried a spin off of the salami babka – making a full fledged deli roll filling inside pizza dough instead of puff pastry. It looked awful lol but tasted great. Following your recipe yielded much better results :)
Those portabella tuna melts!!!! Perfect to grill and light for the summer!
I’ve been hardcore crushing on skillet toast and coddled eggs. Both so simple but so divine (and usually guests don’t know how easy it is)!
i love your chocolate ganache tart with the coconut and date crust! it’s super easy to make and great for a gluten free crowd or if you want something chocolatey and don’t want to heat up your kitchen by making a chocolatey dessert. double thumbs up!! (also would love molly’s cookbook :))
Hi i’m from Panama and I love yoor blog i love a lot of recipes but my favorite is the Chocolate Meltaway Cake i love it
Thank youu !
I love your shwarma salad for Shabbos lunch!
I have made some recipes in the past and they are amazing but haven’t made anything this summer yet.
But am looking forward to hopefully making something soon.
Spinach lasagna roll ups!
Loving your refried bean tacos! I have been looking for years for kosher refried beans but haven’t been able to find, and was thrilled to try your recipe. It was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Molly’s book looks incredible. She is so positive and so fun! I love her playful spin on things. Thanks for the chance!
We really enjoy the spinach white bean minestrone with zoodles before and after fast days and also the miso eggplant. I made the 3 layer rainbow cake for Parshas Noach and it came out beautiful and delicious. I also love marzipan!
Beer braised brisket always
MONGOLIAN BEEF 😍
This recipe looks so good! And I just love following Molly online, along with her fun recipes, and quirky personality. I would love to make this marzipan recipe, but I also saw the apple crisp one of yours, so I may have to make that one since my apples are ready to harvest!
Hi Chanie! I haven’t been cooking so much this summer but I love watching you on Instagram and I can’t wait to make all your yummy recipes soon! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I think it will be one of the first things I make when I get back to my kitchen!
Fun giveaway! My boyfriend adapted the Kosher Shrimp and Grits recipe to be made with tofu and it was so delicious to eat out on the porch.
I’ve made your zoodle shakshuka once a week!
Love your turkey meatballs!!
Woow, these look amazing! So jealous. And I’ve been loving your fruit salad with basil honey lime dressing (I mostly make it just so I can have the dressing! haha)
Hasselback Salami is a staple at every single gathering!!
We mostly eat vegetarian so I love your meat-free recipes. A recent hit was your spinach falafel burgers. Yum!
I’m loving your refried bean tacos and I can’t wait to try this biscotti!
Nishnosh salmon
Hassleback salami!! 😍
Where do you get almond past from? In the past I have found it hard to find
For this recipe you need to use marzipan, not almond paste (they are not the same thing). It comes either in a can or a box and you can find it in the baking aisle of most major supermarkets.
It’s not really a recipe but I liked seeing all the colorful and nutritious vegetables that you’ve been cooking.
I would try the guava/cheese roll
Honey challah is a yummy breakfast, snack, lunch, or dinner! I mean can I just eat it all the time? Haha. Honey challah (no toppings please) ftw!
Brie Marsala Pizza- OMG we cannot get enough of this. It hits all of the notes that I need after a hard week
Love your frozen blueberry yogurt balls. Great when it is 90+ degrees and 80% humidity. Just this morning I showed my daughter Molly’s latest beautiful cakes http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2017/8/how-to-make-flower-cake-for-an-intimate-wedding-of-320 Would love a copy of Molly on the Range.
Pepper crusted tuna sashimi (served in top of sushi salad!!)
Been loving the portabello tuna melts!
I’m loving the grilled portobello mushrooms with tuna and cheese on top… I’ve never had such a yummy mushroom combo until I made these! So good!
I’ve really been enjoying your zoodle shakshuka recipe this summer! I finally bought a spiralizer, so I’m obsessed :) and this giveaway is super cool; I love Molly’s blog!
It’s been really fun playing with variations of the grain-free garnola, excited to try this biscotti recipe as well!
honey mustard salmon, YUM!
I’ve been drinking the tehini date Frappuccino all summer and I’m still not tired of it!
I have Molly’s book which I also love…so good luck all…seriously, how could I only choose one recipe anyway lol
The eggplant with falafel and all the fixings has been my fave addition to my summer menu, works great as a shabbos appetizer and a weeknight dinner!
This blog is one of the few I religiously come back to check. I’ve made many of your recipes over the years so it’s a bit of a blur what exactly is from you vs other places/ cookbooks. This summer I made your zoodles recipe. It’s surprisingly very popular with my kids and super easy. Win! Thank you!
Kosher Shrimp and grits
Hassleback salami! One of the few recipes that every one of my kids will eat.
Hasselback Salami is one of my favorite appetizers.
I make a bunch of your recipes love your pea soup
Funfetti Bundt Cake!
Asian lettuce wraps and challah recipes
Hi Chanie!
We’ve made the tortilla chicken strips, salami babka for chanukah and passed the recipes on to family..
I would definitely try these biscotti, I love almond flavor in desserts. I am so glad you are upstate this Summer for a break from the city.
I totally love Molly Yeh and been checking out her blog for years. The only food blogs I follow are yours, hers, and smitten kitchen. That’s it. I mean, she calls her husband eggboy!?! and lives on a beet farm in The Dakotas, nuff said.
grilled eggplant with cheese and sauce. sushi salad! YUMMY!
Big fan of your recipes! Tried the minestrone soup last week and it was delicious! Love marzipan and baking these tonight:)
We love the hassle back salami! Never gets old for shabbos!
definitely hasselback salami
I LOVE her cookbook too. But somehow these escaped my to-do list! Love almond flavored anything. Will have to give them a go!
Way too many recipes to choose from but if I had to choose just one it would be the fig salmon it was beyond amazing and I don’t even like fish!!
Hasalback salami forsure!!!!!!!
Its a table every Friday
Hey Chanie, we love many of your recipes but the chocolate meltaway cake is the one that comes to mind all the time. It’s a winner!!
Hassalback salami!!
I would eat it every day!
I made the vegetarian chili and corn bread and loved it!
Shakshuka!!
Sweet and crunchy slaw & mushroom quinoa!
Funfetti cake. Just made it for my daughter’s birthday. So easy and tasty. All your recipes are great. My daughter’s favorite entertainment is the cooking lady on insta:)
Been loving your Mongolian beef recipe! So so Good! Better than the restaurant food 👌
We loved your minestrone soup before tisha bav for a filling pre-fast meal!
Sushi salad is my go to. Refreshing delicious and comes together easily! Guests love it
Nish nosh salmon!! Also, an oldie but definitely a goodie, your mushroom barley soup (yes, even in the summer)!
Honey Roasted Zaatar Chicken – Friday night fave!’
The chocolate pie with dates.in the crust!
I always use so many of your recipes! I just made the honey fig sauce over chicken and it was incredible!!
Nis nosh salmon!
Hassle back salami
Hassleback salami is always a winner with everyone!
I have been loving your eggplant parmesan recipe this summer.
Your salami Babka has been ROCKING MY WORLD for months, forget just this summer!!! I’ve been doing it with deli instead of salami because I’ve seen better prices for that’s and it’s just fantastic! You’ve really inspired me to play in the kitchen which is something I can’t thank you for enough!!
Hassleback salami for the win no matter which season!
Chocolate ganache tart!
Hasselback salami 🙌🏻
I made these for shabbat this weekend and they were a huge hit! My husband likes a softer biscotti so I didn’t leave it in for the full 20 min at 250. Your instructions were perfect and I will definitely be making these again. I can’t get over how great the marzipan is in it. I usually don’t like marzipan but this way it pretty much tastes like cookie dough bites inside the Biscotti. Thanks, Chanie!
I’m so happy to hear that Deetza! Credit actually goes to Molly Yeh because it’s her recipe from her cookbook, but I was so happy to share!
I have tried this recipe 3 times now and it has way too much oil in it.
I have it in the refrigerator now and it swimming in oil.
Has any one else had this problem?
You can read out to Molly Yeh, the recipe is from her cookbook, but I had success with it when I made it.
I’ve enjoyed making the Curry Chicken Salad this summer!
I’m happy to hear!
I went looking for a biscotti recipe that contained almond paste or marzipan that was different from the one I’ve made for years, and I settled on this one as biscotti with cocoa nibs and chunks of homemade almond paste triggered my mind’s imaginary tastebuds. I made it and am glad I did! Thanks for posting Molly’s recipe Chanie. It’s a keeper.
I had no issues making the recipe as written, well with a small change – when I mixed the flour mixture into the sugar, egg, etc mixture with a wooden spoon I left out the almond paste and chocolate nibs and, once the flour/oil dough came together I gently kneaded it in the bowl, then added the nibs and kneaded them in, then added the almond paste and worked it in very gently. I placed the dough ball on the counter, cut it in half, and shaped each piece of dough into a rough log then rolled it into a longer log on the counter before transferring it to my pan and repeating with the second log also formed and placed on the same pan. I flattened the 2 logs with wet hands before brushing on a bit of egg white mixed with a wee bit of water and then sprinkling on Maldon sea salt and turbinado sugar.
After baking I turned the oven off, stuck a couple silicone oven mitts in between the door and stove and let the biscotti cool in the oven; this ensures a drier, crispier biscotti without overcooking it.
I love those chunks of almond paste and the crunchy, tasty cocoa nibs! Next time I’ll try the recipe with dark chocolate and almond paste.