RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Jill Lucas Hamantaschen with Three Fillings #1 - dairy, pareve
the jewish holiday of purim is around the corner, and here's a great recipe for hamantaschen - those little tri-corner cookies meant to resemble the hat worn by haman, the wicked advisor to the king. the following was featured in the newsletter sent out by the jewish center my mother belongs to in pinebrook, nj. enjoy! hamantaschen 1/4 pound unsalted butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup sugar 3 eggs grated zest of one small orange 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt fillings (any of the following, or a favorite jam will work nicely) preheat oven to 375 degrees in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. beat in 2 eggs and orange zest, blending thoroughly. add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then blend until dough is smooth. it's best to wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, but you can go directly to the next step if you're in a hurry... transfer to floured surface and divide dough into three or four portions for easier handling. roll to about 1/4 inch thick -- not too thin, or cookies will spread open while baking. cut into 2 1/2-inch rounds (I use a juice glass). place a teasoon of filling in center of each round. fold edges toward center to form a triangle, leaving just a bit of filling visible. pinch edges to seal. place hamantaschen about an inch apart of lightly-greased, foil-lined baking sheet. brush with remaining egg, lightly beaten. bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown. transfer to racks to cook. fillings - prune (lekvar) or poppy seed paste are the traditional favorites, but these sound great. your favorite jam or jelly also will work nicely. using several fillings makes a great presentation. go ahead, make at last two batches of dough! chocolate filling (makes 2 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup milk, cream, or coffee (cooled) 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend thoroughly. carmel-pecan filling (makes 3 cups) 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 2 cups toasted chopped pecans 7 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine 1/2 cup warm milk 1/4 cup honey in heavy saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, mixing with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and add pecans, butter, and milk, then return to heat. stir constantly. simmer for 10 minutes or until thick. remove from heat and stir in the honey. transfer to ovenproof glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set. apricot-coconut filling (makes 3 cups) 2 cups apricot preserves 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts greated zest of one lemon compine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. happy purim from jill lucas, sanford, nc
