The Mandel Club

Handmade mandel bread from Lazar Family Bakehouse, ready for coffee

The Best Cookies for Dunking, Ranked by a Baker...

Jake Lazar

Dunking is engineering. Structure, absorption, and how long the cookie survives the coffee. We ranked the field, and yes, we have a horse in this race.

The Best Cookies for Dunking, Ranked by a Baker...

Jake Lazar

Dunking is engineering. Structure, absorption, and how long the cookie survives the coffee. We ranked the field, and yes, we have a horse in this race.

Bakehouse Tour box with eight MandelBites pouches, the freezer-stocking mandel bread gift box

Can You Freeze Mandel Bread?

Jake Lazar

Yes, up to 9 months, and it freezes better than almost any cookie. How to do it, how to thaw it, and the 5-minute oven trick that makes it taste...

Can You Freeze Mandel Bread?

Jake Lazar

Yes, up to 9 months, and it freezes better than almost any cookie. How to do it, how to thaw it, and the 5-minute oven trick that makes it taste...

Sealed MandelBites pouches, shelf-stable mandel bread that keeps 90 days at room temperature

How Long Does Mandel Bread Last?

Jake Lazar

Sealed, ours keeps 90 days at room temperature with no refrigeration. Here is why a cookie can honestly claim that, and how to store it once the pouch is open.

How Long Does Mandel Bread Last?

Jake Lazar

Sealed, ours keeps 90 days at room temperature with no refrigeration. Here is why a cookie can honestly claim that, and how to store it once the pouch is open.

What to Bring to a Sukkot Meal

What to Bring to a Sukkot Meal

Jake Lazar

Invited to a meal in the sukkah? Bring something that handles outdoor dining, respects the kitchen's kosher rules, and skips dairy if meat is served. Full etiquette inside.

What to Bring to a Sukkot Meal

Jake Lazar

Invited to a meal in the sukkah? Bring something that handles outdoor dining, respects the kitchen's kosher rules, and skips dairy if meat is served. Full etiquette inside.

Sealed mandel bread gift box packaging built to survive nationwide shipping

Food Gifts That Actually Ship Well

Jake Lazar

Most food gifts are a gamble against the shipping box. Here is what survives the trip, what doesn't, and how to tell before you order.

Food Gifts That Actually Ship Well

Jake Lazar

Most food gifts are a gamble against the shipping box. Here is what survives the trip, what doesn't, and how to tell before you order.

Is Mandel Bread Dairy-Free?

Is Mandel Bread Dairy-Free?

Jake Lazar

Traditional mandel bread is dairy-free by design: it's an oil-based cookie built to be pareve. Ours is a mixed answer, and here's the honest flavor-by-flavor breakdown.

Is Mandel Bread Dairy-Free?

Jake Lazar

Traditional mandel bread is dairy-free by design: it's an oil-based cookie built to be pareve. Ours is a mixed answer, and here's the honest flavor-by-flavor breakdown.

Chocolate chip mandel bread with a handwritten-style thank-you note, the kind of personal touch that makes a care package

What to Put in a Care Package (Grandma Jeanne H...

Jake Lazar

Grandma Jeanne packed her suitcase with desserts instead of clothes. That is a care package with a boarding pass. Here is what actually works in one, for college kids and...

What to Put in a Care Package (Grandma Jeanne H...

Jake Lazar

Grandma Jeanne packed her suitcase with desserts instead of clothes. That is a care package with a boarding pass. Here is what actually works in one, for college kids and...

Candlesticks and a bowl of mandel bread on a table set for a break-fast gathering

What to Bring to a Break-Fast After Yom Kippur

Jake Lazar

Yom Kippur ends with a meal for people who have not eaten in 25 hours. If you have been invited, here is what actually helps, and what to skip.

What to Bring to a Break-Fast After Yom Kippur

Jake Lazar

Yom Kippur ends with a meal for people who have not eaten in 25 hours. If you have been invited, here is what actually helps, and what to skip.

Back of an Almond MandelBites pouch showing the ingredient and allergen label, where kosher certification marks would appear

Kosher vs. Kosher-Style: What Gift Buyers Shoul...

Jake Lazar

If you are buying a food gift for a Jewish friend, colleague, or host, this one distinction decides whether your gift lands. It takes two minutes to understand.

Kosher vs. Kosher-Style: What Gift Buyers Shoul...

Jake Lazar

If you are buying a food gift for a Jewish friend, colleague, or host, this one distinction decides whether your gift lands. It takes two minutes to understand.

Almond MandelBites pouch, traditional oil-based mandel bread in the pareve style of Ashkenazi baking

Is Mandel Bread Kosher?

Jake Lazar

Traditionally, mandel bread was built for the kosher kitchen. Whether any specific mandel bread is certified kosher is a different question, and here is our honest answer about ours.

Is Mandel Bread Kosher?

Jake Lazar

Traditionally, mandel bread was built for the kosher kitchen. Whether any specific mandel bread is certified kosher is a different question, and here is our honest answer about ours.

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip MandelBites pouch with loose pieces from Lazar Family Bakehouse

Is Mandel Bread Gluten-Free?

Jake Lazar

Traditional mandel bread is not gluten-free, because it's made with wheat flour. But it adapts well, and we make a gluten-free version that most people can't tell apart from the...

Is Mandel Bread Gluten-Free?

Jake Lazar

Traditional mandel bread is not gluten-free, because it's made with wheat flour. But it adapts well, and we make a gluten-free version that most people can't tell apart from the...

Biscotti Too Hard? Try Mandel Bread Instead

Biscotti Too Hard? Try Mandel Bread Instead

Jake Lazar

You are not wrong. Traditional biscotti is genuinely hard, and it is supposed to be. But there is a softer cousin that solves the problem without giving up the crunch.

Biscotti Too Hard? Try Mandel Bread Instead

Jake Lazar

You are not wrong. Traditional biscotti is genuinely hard, and it is supposed to be. But there is a softer cousin that solves the problem without giving up the crunch.