1/2 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup trans-fat-free margarine, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granular sugar substitute
1/4 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350°F. Place almonds on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
Combine margarine, 1/4 cup of the sugar substitute, orange juice concentrate, eggs, zest and vanilla in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, sift together whole-grain and all-purpose flours, baking powder, 2 tsp. of the cinnamon, and salt. Stir in chopped almonds and chocolate. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and stir just to combine. Using
your hands, knead the dough gently until it sticks together and forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape each half into an 8-inch-long log. Place logs on a baking sheet and press each gently to flatten to 1-inch thickness.
Bake logs for 20 minutes, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tbsp. sugar substitute and 2 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl.
When logs are cool, use a serrated knife to cut each log crosswise into 12 pieces. Lay cookies flat on the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops evenly with the cinnamon mixture. Bake until cookies are lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve.
Per cookie: 100 calories, 6 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 3 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 60 mg sodium
Make-Ahead: Mandelbroit can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in a covered container.