Hamantaschen Recipe

Buttery Hamantaschen

Learn to make buttery hamantaschen dough, easy to work with for any filling. Rich, delicious, orange-scented cookies. Kosher, Dairy.

Prep: 210min

Total: 235min

Yield: 35

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 81 kcal, Carbohydrate 9 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 19 mg, Sugar 3 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-5 teaspoons water (if needed)

Instruction:

1. Slice room temperature butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add sugar to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes till light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest to the bowl. Beat again till creamy and well mixed.
4. Sift flour and salt into the bowl.Mix with the electric mixer on low speed till a crumbly dough forms.
5. Begin to knead dough with hands till a smooth dough ball forms. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour till it reaches the right texture.
6. Form the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours to overnight.
7. Before you begin to assemble the hamantaschen, choose and make your filling and have it on hand to work with. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour a smooth, clean surface. Unwrap the dough disk and place it on the floured surface. The dough will be very firm after chilling.
8. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. At the beginning, it will be tough to roll out– you may need to pound it a bit. A heavy rolling pin works best. As you roll, cracks may form on the edges of the dough. Repair any large cracks with your fingers and continue rolling.When the dough reaches 1/4 inch thickness, scrape the dough up with a pastry scraper, lightly reflour the surface, and flip the dough over. Continue rolling the dough out very thin (less than 1/8 of an inch thick). The thinner you roll the dough, the more delicate and crisp the cookies will turn out– just make sure that the dough is still thick enough to hold the filling and its shape! If you prefer a thicker, more doughy texture to your cookies (less delicate), keep the dough closer to 1/4 inch thick. Lightly flour the rolling pin occasionally to prevent sticking.
9. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (not smaller) or the 3-inch rim of a glass to cut circles out of the dough, cutting as many as you can from the dough.Gather the scraps and roll them out again. Cut circles. Repeat process again if needed until you’ve cut as many circles as you can from the dough. You should end up with around 35 circles (unless you’ve kept your dough on the thicker side, which will result in less cookies).
10. Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.
11. Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.
12. Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under– it creates a “pinwheel” effect. This method if folding is not only pretty– it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.
13. Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape. If any cracks have formed at the places where the dough is creased, use the warmth of your fingers to smooth them out.Repeat this process for the remaining circles.
14. When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced.
15. Place them in the oven and let them bake at 350 degrees for 10-25 minutes, until the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden. Start checking them at 10 minutes; because the dough thickness tends to vary on these cookies they can cook quite fast if rolled thin. In most ovens it will take around 15-20 minutes, but best to keep a close watch over them as they cook to avoid overcooking or burning.Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Store them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or Tupperware.

Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen, a three-cornered cookie stuffed with any of a variety of fillings, is a traditional sweet often served during the Jewish holiday Purim. This version of hamantaschen feature poppy seed filling; if you’re not a poppy seed fan, feel free to substitute apricot or the filling of your choice.

Prep: 1

Total: 1h57min

Yield: 48

Serving Size: 1 cookie (32g)

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cookie (32g), calories 110 calories, Carbohydrate 14g, Cholesterol 15mg, Fiber 1g, Protein 2g, Sodium 60mg, Sugar 6g, Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter or 3/4 cup (138g) vegetable shortening
• 2 tablespoons (28g) water (if you’re using vegetable shortening)
• 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (12g) lemon zest (grated rind)
• 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
• 3 1/2 cups (420g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3 tablespoons (21g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (18g) King Arthur Easy Roll Dough Improver optional
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg white (reserve the yolk)
• 1 cup (142g) poppy seeds ground
• 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
• 2 tablespoons (43g) honey
• 1/2 cup (64g) shredded apricots or 1/2 cup (85g) diced raisins
• 1 tablespoon (14g) lemon zest (grated rind)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (227g) milk
• 1 large apple peeled and grated or finely chopped

Instruction:

To make the cookies: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter or shortening, water (if you’re using it), sugar, salt, and flavorings until light and fluffy., Add the remaining ingredients and mix until a cohesive dough forms., Divide the dough in half, wrap it well, and refrigerate it for 1 hour., To make the filling: Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. When the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat. Refrigerate until cold., Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare several parchment-lined or greased baking sheets., To assemble the hamantaschen: Working with one half of the dough at a time, flour it thoroughly, and roll it into a 16″ x 18″ rectangle approximately 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick., Cut the dough into circles with a 3 1/2″ round cutter. Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets, and place a rounded teaspoonful of filling in the center of each circle., Brush the edges of the dough with the reserved egg yolk, which you’ve beaten with 1 tablespoon water., Now, imagine the circle as a triangle; bring three of the “sides” together to meet in the center, forming what looks like an old-fashioned tricorne hat. Pinch the edges together to seal., Bake the hamantaschen for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom and edges. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool; they’ll firm up and become crisp as they cool., Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month.

Apricot Hamantaschen

These hamantaschen, or hat-shaped Purim cookies, are like glistening little fruit pies in cookie form.

Prep: 30min

Total: 45min

Yield: 30 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cookie, calories 128, Fat 7g, Carbohydrate 16g, Protein 1g, Saturated Fat 4g, unSaturated Fat , Sugar 7g, Fiber 0g, Sodium 63mg, Cholesterol 35mg

Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for rolling the dough
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, very cold
• 3 large egg yolks, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons ice cold water
• ¾ cup apricot jam, best quality such as Bonne Maman

Instruction:

1. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for 10-15 seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 of the egg yolks and pulse a few times, until the mixture is crumbly and pale yellow. Add 1 tablespoon of the water and pulse just until the dough starts to clump together. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining tablespoon of water and pulse again. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times into a smooth ball. Divide in half and pat into two 6-inch discs; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F and set racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, make an egg wash by mixing the remaining egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll to ⅛-inch thick, turning and dusting with more flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 3-inch circles and place about ½-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll and re-cut any excess dough. Brush the dough very lightly with the egg wash. Place a level teaspoon of apricot jam on the center of each cookie (do not overfill). Fold in the sides, slightly overlapping the filling, to form a triangle so that each side of the cookie has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under — this creates a pattern that looks pretty (but don’t fuss too much over it). Pinch the corners together neatly so that they form a point. Slide the pans into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies are lightly golden on top and just starting to brown in the corners. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Shape the dough into 2 discs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the disks from the freezer, thaw the dough for 1 to 2 days in the fridge, and then proceed with recipe. To Freeze After Baking: Let the hamantaschen cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Hamantaschen Recipe

FAQ

What is the most traditional filling in hamantaschen?

What are good fillings for hamantaschen?

• Apricot jam or butter. …
• Chocolate filling or spread. …
• Strawberry, followed by raspberry. …
• Poppy seed filling. …
• Date and prune filling (lekvar) …
• Apple. …
• Peanut butter/peanut butter and chocolate. …
• Halva.

What is the significance of hamantaschen?

What is the difference between hamantaschen and rugelach?