Hamentaschen
makes 2 dozen cookies
These are traditional cookies for the Jewish holiday Purim. They're meant to look like little tricorn hats representing Haman, one of the villains in the story. They're traditionally filled with prune and poppyseed preserves, but are great with apricot, strawberry or any other seedless jams or pie fillings.
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Fruit preserves for filling (apricot, strawberry, prune, etc.)
prep: 45 minutes
total: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus 3 hours refrigeration for the dough
electric mixer
plastic wrap
waxed paper
rolling pin
3-4" round cookie cutter
parchment paper
baking sheets
1. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until combined. Add the egg and orange juice and stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, a quarter at a time, mixing until it holds together as a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
3. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it warm slightly. Cut the dough into quarters to make it easier, and roll it out between two floured pieces of waxed paper until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Using a glass or round cookie cutter, cut into 3-4" circles.
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough round, and start folding the sides to create a triangle. Fold each side in turn, tucking the last one underneath the first to create a pinwheel pattern. (If one side is not pinned down, the cookie will open and spill the filling while it bakes.) Repeat for all the cookies, changing filling flavors if you like.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, a quarter at a time, mixing until it holds together as a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
3. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it warm slightly. Cut the dough into quarters to make it easier, and roll it out between two floured pieces of waxed paper until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Using a glass or round cookie cutter, cut into 3-4" circles.
4. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough round, and start folding the sides to create a triangle. Fold each side in turn, tucking the last one underneath the first to create a pinwheel pattern. (If one side is not pinned down, the cookie will open and spill the filling while it bakes.) Repeat for all the cookies, changing filling flavors if you like.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown.
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