Best Fruit Filled Hamantaschen From Philadelphia Recipes

GREAT-GRANDMOTHER BUBBIE'S HAMANTASCHEN

Great-Grandmother Bubbie's Hamantaschen image

Brought over from Poland by my great-grandmother, these little fruit-filled cookies are traditional for the Jewish holiday Purim where they are put in gift baskets and given to all one's friends. We always make extra so there are some left over for us, they are the best! (The filling can be anything, for a shortcut, you can substitute any flavor of jam, but this is the original filling.)

Provided by Aliza Finley

Categories Desserts Cookies Fruit Cookie Recipes Apricot

Time 2h50m

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 cups pitted prunes, cooked, drained and mashed
2 cups dried apricots, cooked drained and mashed
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
½ cup safflower oil
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup chopped walnuts
⅓ cup white sugar, or to taste

Steps:

Place prunes and apricots into a large pot filled with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook the fruit uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain fruit in a colander and mash together in a bowl using a fork. Set aside.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Whisk eggs, 1 cup sugar, oil, lemon zest, and orange zest together in a bowl and set aside. Sift flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. Stir in the egg mixture, kneading with hands until the dough comes together. Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch in thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut circles out using a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.
Mix prune and apricot mixture, lemon juice, walnuts, and 1/3 cup sugar in a bowl. Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of the cookie. Pinch the edges firmly together to create a triangle, leaving the center open to expose the filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 163 calories, Carbohydrate 28.9 g, Cholesterol 15.5 mg, Fat 4.7 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 2.7 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 34.4 mg, Sugar 15.4 g

HAMANTASCHEN

Hamantaschen image

When chef Michael Solomonov and his business partner Steve Cook develop recipes for their Philadelphia restaurants (including Zahav, Abe Fisher and K'Far), they often start by talking about their mothers. "Someone will say, 'Oh wait, my mom makes it like this. Let me get her recipe,' " Michael says. Steve's mom, Susan, provided the dough recipe for these hamantaschen - traditional triangular jam-filled cookies that show up on their menus for the Jewish holiday of Purim. It's a pretty classic recipe, with a few exceptions: Susan adds brown sugar and maple extract to her version. The resulting cookie is extra chewy, and perfectly sweet. -Francesca Cocchi for Food Network Magazine

Provided by Michael Solomonov

Categories dessert

Time 1h

Yield About 36 hamantaschen

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 12-ounce jar apricot preserves

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.