Cherry Hamantashen Recipes

Steps:

• Cream margarine in mixer bowl.
• Add sugar and beat till fluffy.
• Beat in egg, lemon peel, and vanilla.
• Add in flour and salt.
• Beat in water a few drops at a time until dough starts to come away from sides of bowl.
• Place dough in a 2-quart size bag and form into a flat disk.
• Refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours and maximum of 2-3 days.
• Roll out dough flat about an 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
• Using a round cookie cutter or the top of a cup, cut out circles.
• Spoon 2 cherries and a little bit of filling onto the dough circles.
• To fold into the shape of a hamentashen (a triangle) use both thumbs and the two first fingers on each hand.
• Slide two fingers from left hand under left side and two fingers from right hand under right side and two thumbs under the bottom of circle.
• Bring all fingers (with dough) together to form a triangle and try to pinch close.
• Repeat this process with remaining circles and dough.
• Place on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
• Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top of each one.
• Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or just starting to turn pale golden.

Steps:

• For the crust: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub together with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly with pea-sized bits of butter. Add the water, almond extract and 1 of the eggs and mix together until it forms a dry and crumbly dough. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press together and flatten into a disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• To assemble: Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of water for the egg wash. Set aside.
• On a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Trim the edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter and transfer to a baking sheet using the parchment. Spread on a thin and even layer of the jam, leaving a 2-inch border. Dollop the Frangipane over the jam and gently spread in an even layer. Brush the border with the egg wash. Carefully fold the sides into the center to create a triangle with a 2-inch opening in the center. Pinch to seal where the sides of the dough meet. Brush the egg wash all over the top and sides. Freeze until the dough is firm and cold to the touch, at least 30 minutes.
• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown around the edges and the frangipane is set; begin checking at 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet to room temperature.
• Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together over a double boiler (or in the microwave in 30-second increments) until smooth. Drizzle over the hamantaschen and allow to set. Decorate with sprinkles and marzipan masks as desired. Slice in wedges to serve.
• To make the frangipane filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light, fluffy and pale, about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, as needed. Add the almond extract and egg and beat until the mixture is creamy and homogeneous, about 30 seconds. Mix in the ground pistachios, flour and salt until fully combined.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, zest, both juices and brandy until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until a sticky dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk and chill overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Working with about one quarter of the dough at a time and leaving the remaining in the refrigerator, roll on lightly floured surface a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Cut circles (or other fun shapes) using cookie cutters 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Place a spoonful of filling in center (about 1 teaspoon per cookie) and then pinch one side up. Turn and pinch second and then third to make a triangular shape. Leave a little bit of the filling showing at the top. For non-traditional shapes, use your imagination: tubular, squares, bite-size or even some flat cookies depressed in the center with a bit of filling there.
• Place cookies on parchment paper on cookie sheet, brush with a little beaten egg for sheen and bake until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Keep room temp in airtight container but consume within 3 to 4 days, tops.
• Combine everything except the lemon zest and juice and the beaten egg into a saucepan and cook over moderate heat until thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir often. Add zest and juice. Take a bit of the filling and mix it into the beaten egg. Repeat, then mix the egg mixture into the pot of filling. Cool overnight.

Steps:

• Mix everything together until you have a nice dough.
• Take piece by piece from the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface until you get a nice disk.
• Taking a drinking glass, use it to make a nice circle.
• Fill it up with poppy seed filling and close it in the shape of a triangle.
• Bake it in a preheated 350 F degree oven for about 30 minutes. Makes 50 to 60 cookies.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the orange juice and vanilla. Mix in the baking powder, then gradually stir in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. I like to do mine overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles using a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place circles on the prepared cookie sheets. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each circle. (Any more and it will ooze out) Pinch the sides of each circle to form a triangle, covering as much of the filling as possible. The cookies may be frozen on the cookie sheets if desired to help retain their shape while cooking.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light golden brown. These are best undercooked slightly. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.