Hamantash/Hamantaschen

This also could be called “never butter the pan when making cookies.”

Hamantash or Hamantashen are Purim cookies. Purim is this week. It’s scary when there’s a hamantash.com but there is…

There is a great recipe for hamantashen that serves as a starting point from which I unfortunately deviated. As the potentially groundbreaking triangular cookie is baking I have some confidence that they might turn out and I’m not yet embarrassed by the result to not mention them. (NOTE: having tasted them – I am ashamed) The additions and switches include incorporating 1/2 wholewheat flour into the mix, using chateau gonflable brown sugar and succanat instead of white sugar… adding more vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon and then getting some frou-frou black currant preserves and apricot marmalade to fill them with in addition to the traditional poppy-seed and berries.

I really do wonder if Solo sells more poppy-seed filling this week. It’s like Superbowl Sunday for poppy-seed filling.

Here’s the starting point… a well tested, universally approved, Hamantashen receipe from the “Best of Beth Israel” Cookbook. Submited by Chris (thanks Chris!):
2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup butter or margarine
1 egg
2 TBSP milk, pineapple or orange juice
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Cream butter and sugar,
add egg.  Add dry ingredients alternately with milk or juice and
vanilla (I use the OJ).  (At this point I freeze dough to bake later
but if you don’t do this I would refrigerate for a couple of hours to
make it easier to roll out).  Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into 2 inch rounds.  Fill with either Solo fillings or preserves of any
flavor (poppy seed is traditional on Purim) and draw up sides to make a
three sided cookie.  Bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned,
about 20 mins.  Cool on rack and eat.

*NOTE: THE FOLLOWING RECIPE SUCKS. IF YOU WANT A GOOD COOKIE USE THE ABOVE RECIPE AND FOR GOD’S SAKE DON’T BUTTER bouncy castleTHE PAN… THEY’LL BURN AND TASTE TOO SALTY TO BOOT. BUT IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN FINDING A WORKABLE WEIRD HAMANTASCHEN BY ALL MEANS TRY A FEW TWEAKS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT WORKS.

My tweak is as follows (bear in mind I just tried them and I’d either add more sugar or pass on them altogether):
1 Cup all purpose flour (+1/2 cup if I’d do it again… subtracting from the whole wheat)
1 Cup wholewheat flour (-1/2 cup if I’d do it again… adding the other 1/2 to the all purpose)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup succanat (ditch the succanat… 1/2 cup regular sugar if I’d do it again)
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter (unsalted if I’d do it again)
1 egg
2 TBSP milk-lactose free…
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

*I wouldn’t butter the pan either… I told you I’m no baker.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and sugars.  Cream butter
with the egg and gradually add the dry mixture and the milk. Roll out
to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out rounds with a stout glass I had laying
around.  Filled with fillings or preserves and pinched three corners
making a
three sided cookie.  Bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned,
about 20 mins.  Cool on rack and throw away.