Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen are triangular shaped cookies, traditionally filled with poppy seed filling, that are eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim. These cookies are now filled with all sorts of jam fillings. I have also created cheesecake, peanut butter and chocolate and brownie filled Hamantaschen. The trick to Hamantaschen that keep their shape while baking is to refrigerate the formed and filled cookies on the baking sheet for an hour before baking. This helps the dough to set and not spread in the oven. The other tricks are to use very little filling (no more than ½ teaspoon--It looks like too little, but spreads while baking.) and, instead of jams or jellies, to use Solo Brand Pastry and Pie Fillings. These are canned fillings that can be found in the Kosher aisle of most grocery stores. If you are lucky enough to live in an area with Kosher markets, you will find more of a variety of fillings there.

Ingredients
4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
⅓ cup orange juice
assorted pie and pastry fillings
cheesecake filling, optional
¼ recipe refrigerated basic brownies (Fill Hamantaschen with batter before baking.), optional
peanut butter filling, optional
⅓ recipe chocolate ganache (Be sure to top already baked Hamantaschen with ganache. DO NOT BAKE GANACHE!!!), optional

Equipment
dry measuring cups
measuring spoons
liquid measuring shot glass
liquid measuring cup
medium bowl
whisk
stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer and large bowl
rubber spatula
plastic wrap
flat surface and rolling pin
3-inch round cookie cutter
baking sheets lined with parchment paper
teaspoons
small spatula
cooling racks

Directions
1. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Add dry ingredients in fourths, alternating with orange juice in thirds, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Be sure to beat thoroughly after each addition, without overmixing.
6. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk.
7. Refrigerate overnight.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Lightly flour rolling pin and 3-inch round cookie cutter.
10. Roll out dough to ⅛-inch thick.
11. Cut into rounds using cookie cutter.
12. Move rounds onto parchment lined baking sheet, placing them ½ inch apart.
13. Place no more than ½ teaspoon of filling in the center of each round.
14. Fold three edges up to form a triangle. Pinch corners.
15. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
16. Remove from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly brown around the edges.
17. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes.
18. Move Hamantaschen to cooling racks and cool completely.

Yields about 4 dozen Hamantaschen

© 2009 by Allison Lattman