Chocolate Chunk Mandel Bread

A friend of my sister Jody makes the most amazing mandel bread cookies but sadly for me she keeps the recipe close to her heart.  She bakes batches of these, freezes them and will send them over to friends, but she refuses to divulge the recipe.  I needed that recipe.  I had to know how to make these cookies so I could have them whenever I wanted.  I made many a batch before I landed on these babies.  These may not be exactly the same as hers but they are absolutely, mouth-wateringly delicous!  Dark chocolate chunks, rolled in cinnamon sugar and slightly underbaked these cookies meet all the requirements I was looking for.  Now if I could only figure a way to stop eating them all before I can generously share them with my friends. 

For the cookies

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup whites ugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt 2 cups (1 pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chunks

For cinnamon sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil and eggs.  Add vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well blended.  Add the chocolate chunks and mix well.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.  

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Divide the dough into four pieces and form into logs about 3" wide ensuring they are not to close as they will spread while cooking.

Place in oven and cook 25 minutes.  Meanwhile combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.  When cookies are ready, remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board.   

Slice each log into 3/4-1" slices on the short end of the log.  Take each piece and roll it in the cinnamon-sugar and return to baking sheet on the flat side of the cookie.  Repeat for all cookies.  You may need to prepare a second baking sheet or cook them in tw batches as they will not all fit on one tray. 

Reduce the oven heat to 250F and bake another 15 minutes or until desired doneness.