Hamantashen
"These are the traditional triangular filled cookies eaten for the Jewish holiday of Purim. They are shaped like the 3-cornered hat worn by the bad guy in the story, Haman. The Purim story is from the biblical Book of Esther. OK -- history aside, these are yummy cookies! I tried 5 different recipes for hamantashen this year, and this was by far my favorite. This recipe is ever-so-slightly altered from the original, which is by Flo Braker, pastry goddess. Edited to add: the traditional fillings are spiced prune (lekvar), poppyseed, and apricot. My kids' favorites are cherry and chocolate. Do whatever makes you happy!"
photo by LilPinkieJ
- Ready In:
- 35mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
36 cookies
- Serves:
- 18
ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (I used Ultragrain, which is a whole wheat with the texture of white)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 lb butter or 1/4 lb margarine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1⁄2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 12 ounces pie filling, of your choice (canned or homemade)
directions
- Place rack in upper third of oven. Preheat to 350°F Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease them.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and mix 1 minute.
- Mix in orange juice, vanilla and almond extracts.
- Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, at least 15 minutes. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days.).
- Divide the dough in half; it will be very sticky.
- Cover 1 portion with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Place other half between sheets of floured wax paper and roll to 1/8 inch thick.
- Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut circles.
- Using a floured spatula, pick up circles and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling in the center of each circle. Press three edges together to make a triangle, leaving an opening in the center with the filling showing.
- Place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps and cutting out as many circles as possible.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. If baking more than one sheet in the oven at a time, rotate baking sheet positions after 7 minutes.
- Cool 5 minutes and remove to racks to finish cooling.
- May be stored, airtight, for several days.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
These are very tasty little cookie pies. They are a bit of work, but fun to make. I added a few drops of orange extract to the dough too. I would like to make them again. Made and Reviewed for Photo Tag Game - Thanks :)
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Two of my three cats.
<img src="http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/512309/shayn%20ying.jpg">
And my *biggest* and *BEST* cat of all:
<img src="http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/512309/gabby%206th%20birthday%20leopard.jpg">
I am a busy mom of small children by day, and I work part-time as a doctor at night. I am trying to find the ever-elusive balance between career-track and mommy-track. Cooking and baking bring me joy, and I love to see my kids eat healthy homemade foods. I have relatives with a local organic farm, so I use their produce as much as possible. Yum!
After some trial and error with rating recipes for various contests and tag games, I think I will from now on stick to the definitions provided by Zaar:
3 stars means I liked it! I might have had to make some adjustments, though.
4 stars means I LOVED it! Almost no adjusting was necessary.
5 stars means one of the most outstanding things I have ever tasted! Stands, as is, as a fabulous dish.
I can't imagine giving only 1 or 2 stars -- that would mean that I either picked a recipe that I should have known wouldn't suit my taste, or that I really messed up while making the recipe.
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PACfall08partic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z205/jubespage/kid-friendlytag-participation2.gif">
<img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a254/Sharon123/Copyoftag300-banner.jpg" border="0" alt="Susie's Banner for Newest Zaar Tag">
<img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/Zaar%20World%20Tour%204/ZWTAB-tg.gif">
<img src="http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/3476/mybanner483b81c1ea2dfah7.jpg">
<img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/jewelies/DesertRose.jpg"><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/lauralie41/cookbookswapspring08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"><a href="http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y254/Missymop/?action=view¤t=kidfrecipeswap.jpg" target="_blank">
<img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y254/Missymop/kidfrecipeswap.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PAC08Main.jpg"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg">
<img src="http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r317/j_welcome/pics2/food/PRMRcopy.jpg">
<img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/RSC%20Banners/RSC11-SusieCat.jpg">
<img src="http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r271/copperhorse58/Zaar%20Food%20Photos/Food%20Photos%202008/herbspicesticker.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/CV.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/carolinamoon21/Ingredients/Other/photo-swap-7sticky.jpg">
<img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj240/marienixon_715/kittencaljpg.jpg">
<img src="http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/1956/holidaylightssticker.jpg">
<img src="http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e347/Saturn6666/Other/tagforpage1.jpg">
<img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/smPACp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket">
