Hamantashen Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough: Beat the butter, both sugars, the egg, milk, vanilla and maple extract (if using) with a mixer on medium-high speed. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat until fully incorporated.
• Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Form the hamantaschen: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375˚ F. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Use the rim of a juice glass to cut out 3-inch circles. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Spoon a teaspoon of the apricot preserves into the center of each circle of dough.
• Fold in the edges of the dough to form a triangle, pinching at the corners to keep the filling in but leaving the center filling slightly exposed.
• Bake the hamantaschen: Arrange the hamantaschen on 2 baking sheets (use nonstick pans or line the pans with parchment paper).
• Bake, rotating and switching the pans halfway through, until the hamantaschen are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.

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.

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:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until lightly and fluffy. Stir in the oil, vanilla and orange juice. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter to form a stiff dough. If dough is not stiff enough to roll out, stir in more flour. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or the rim or a drinking glass. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of preserves into the center of each one. Pinch the edges to form three corners.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Steps:

• Starter:.
• Place the milk in a large mixing bowl and mix with the water, yeast, sugar and flour to make a sloppy batter.
• Cover and allow to stand for 20- 30 minutes.
• Dough:.
• Stir the sponge and add it to the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, eggs, salt and enough flour to make a soft, kneadable dough.
• Knead for 5 to 8 minutes until smooth.
• Cover well with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
• At this stage, you can also refrigerate until the next day but allow dough to reach room temperature before proceeding.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Work, with one piece, leaving the rest of the dough covered with a tea towel.
• Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut out 3 inch circles with a cookie cutter or glass.
• Brush the circles with egg wash.
• Put tablespoon of desired filling in each.
• Bring 3 edges together to form triangles.
• Brush the filled hamantaschen with additional egg eash and sprinkle lightly with sugar if desired.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F Line 1 or 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
• Place the hamantashcen on the trays.
• Cover lightly with a tea towel and let them rise 15 to 25 minute.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes until medium golden.
• Cool on the baking sheets.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, and 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Divide dough into thirds. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one-third of the dough from the refrigerator at a time. On a liberally floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. With a 3-inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many circles as possible, and place on a prepared baking pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the poppy-seed filling: Grind poppy seeds in a food processor. Place seeds in a medium saucepan. Add milk and honey. Cook over a medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add raisins and lemon zest. Remove from heat. Cool completely before using.
• Remove chilled circles from refrigerator. Place each filling into a medium pastry bag fitted with a coupler. Pipe 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle. Whisk together remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold in sides to form a triangle. Pinch dough to enclose the filling.
• Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes; then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

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:

• To make the dough, cream the butter or margarine with the sugar in the food processor. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange juice, and continue to mix until smooth.
• Add 2 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Process until smooth. Flour your hands, remove the dough from the food processor, and cover it in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the poppy seeds in a small saucepan. Cover with the milk, and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, and cool.
• Add the poppy seeds and milk to the sugar, dates or figs, raisins, walnuts, almonds, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Transfer to a food processor equipped with a steel blade, and pulse until just combined. Refrigerate until the batter is chilled.
• When ready to make the cookies, remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and grease two cookie sheets.
• Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll one ball out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. To shape the hamantashen, first brush water around the rim of the circle with your finger. Lift the edges of the dough up to form a triangle around the filling, pinching the three corners together, leaving a small opening in the center. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Repeat with each of the remaining dough balls.