Date Orange Filling For Hamantaschen Recipes

Steps:

• In a food processor blend together all filling ingredients except water until an almost smooth, jamlike consistency. If date mixture is very dry blend in water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Filling may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Steps:

• Pulse dates, raisins, rind and cinnamon in a food processor until minced finely.
• Add nuts and pulse 1-2 times.

Steps:

• Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat shortening, sugar, and egg at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add zest and juice and beat until incorporated. Add flour mixture, stirring, until a smooth dough is formed. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Halve dough. On a lightly floured surface roll out half of dough (keeping other half wrapped and chilled) 1/4 inch thick. With a 3-inch cutter cut out as many rounds as possible. Transfer rounds with a metal spatula to a large baking sheet, arranging about 1/2 inch apart. Reroll scraps and cut out more rounds. Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round and fold up edges to form triangular cookies resembling a tricornered hat, pinching corners together and leaving filling exposed. (Pinch dough tightly enough so seams are no longer visible and sides are taut enough to prevent cookies from leaking filling as they bake.)
• Bake hamantaschen in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool hamantaschen on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more hamantaschen with remaining dough and filling in same manner. Hamantaschen keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Steps:

• Dough:.
• Soften the yeast in water for 5 minutes then add to the milk.
• Stir in 2 cups of the flour, the sugar and salt.
• Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
• Beat in the butter and remaining flour.
• Kneed for a few minutes, then place in a bowl; cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (guess that would be about one hour).
• Punch down and knead on a lightly floured board for 5 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut into 4 inch squares.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of filling on each and fold the dough over into a trangle, sealing the edges.
• Let rise until doubled in bulk (guess that would be about 30-45 minutes) and brush with beaten egg yolk.
• Bake in a 375°F oven 25 minutes or until browned.
• Poppy seed filling:.
• Grind the poppy seeds.
• Combine with milk and honey.
• Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until thick.
• Stir in the lemon rind and raisins.
• Cool and fill the dough.
• Prune filling:.
• Mix ingredients together and fill dough.