Best Hamantaschen Recipes

EASY HAMANTASCHEN

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.

PURIM HAMANTASCHEN WITH PRUNE FILLING

Steps:

• Combine honey, lemon juice, and prunes in a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until prunes are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove prune filling from heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat sugar, butter, and shortening together with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add eggs; stir until smooth. Stir in orange juice and vanilla extract. Gently fold in flour mixture, mixing until a dough forms. Divide dough into 3 balls.
• Roll out 1 ball of dough on a floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness, using a piece of parchment paper under the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Use the rim of a glass to cut dough into circles.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon prune filling in the center of each circle of dough. Pinch edges together to secure filling and form triangular pockets. Transfer cookies to baking sheet. Repeat rolling, cutting, and filling remaining balls of dough.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 18 minutes.

HAMANTASCHEN

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.

HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Cut in margarine with 2 knives or a pastry blender. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well until dough comes together and is smooth. If dough is sticky, add more flour.
• Roll out dough on floured work surface until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Press the rim of a glass into flour and then into the dough to cut out circles.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon filling into the center of each circle. Fold up the 3 sides into a triangle shape, pinching the sides together tightly to seal. Transfer cookies to baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

HAMANTASCHEN

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.

PURIM HAMANTASCHEN (STUFFED PASTRY DOUGH WITH FILLING)

Steps:

• COOKIE DOUGH:.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
• Work in butter using a pastry blender or two forks, one held in each hand.
• Add the eggs, mixing in with the pastry blender.
• Add the lemon peel.
• Form the dough into a ball and wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for atleast 1 hour.
• YEAST DOUGH:.
• Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup lukewarm water (105°F); add a pinch of sugar, and set aside until foamy.
• Put 2 cups flour in a large bowl and add the yeast, milk, salt, and remaining sugar.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add the butter and enough flour to produce a dough that is moist and pliable.
• Knead for 5 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl.
• Cover with a dish towel and set aside to rise, 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled in bulk.
• MOHN FILLING:.
• Combine the poppy seeds, honey, and milk in a small saucepan. Simmer for about 10minutes, stirring constantly; the mixture should thicken.
• Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, and raisins.
• Set aside to cool.
• PRUNE FILLING.
• Cover the prunes with 1 cup water in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes -1 hour, until tender.
• Add the lemon juice and honey, and simmer slowly for about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the nuts (if using) and let the filling cool.
• LEKVAR FILLING:.
• Combine all ingredients.
• NOTE:.
• All fillings can be made in advance and stored (covered) in the refrigerator.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F You will need 1 recipe dough, 1 recipe filling, and 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water.
• Divide whichever dough you choose into portions you can easily roll out.
• On a floured board, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. The cookie dough rolls out best if rolled out between two sheets of wax paper.
• Cut the dough into 3-4 inch circles, using the top of a glass or cookie cutter. Fill each circle with a heaping teaspoon of filling and pinch the dough around it into a triangular shape.
• Brush the dough with the egg wash and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 20-30minutes (the cookie dough will bake faster than the yeast dough).
• When the cookies are done, they will look appealingly brown. Taste one if in doubt!

GLUTEN-FREE HAMANTASCHEN - SUGAR-FREE [ PURIM COOKIES ]

Steps:

• With an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter or margarine with the agave nectar. Add the unbeaten egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla and continue combining. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
• Slowly add the dry mixture into the liquid mixture. Mix until combined into a cohesive ball of dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Flour a counter or other surface thoroughly. Remove dough from refrigerator and immediately roll into a ball and roll the ball in flour before placing it on the floured counter. Roll out until 1/4" to 1/8" thickness. Using a juice glass or biscuit cutter, cut into 3-4" circles. Immediately move dough circles to parchment-lined cookie sheets. If the dough begins to stick to the counter, use a pastry scraper to gently transfer the disks of dough.
• Place approximately 1 teaspoon of filling (apricot preserves, lekvar, poppyseed filling, raspberry jam, etc) in the center of each circle. Using a pastry brush, apply well-beaten egg to the perimeter of each dough circle and immediately fold 3 sides of circle together so that the cookie becomes a triangle, and pinch corners to seal. Seal completely and firmly, using beaten egg so they do not come apart in baking. If you have trouble sealing the corners, try folding them over a bit. The final cookie should look like a triangle with the filling showing through only at the center.
• Use the remaining beaten egg to lightly brush the top of each pastry.
• Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden on top but not overly browned on the bottom (lift one cookie up after 12 minutes to make sure the bottom hasn't become dark brown). Let cool slightly before serving or transferring to cooling rack.

CANNOLI HAMANTASCHEN RECIPE FOR PURIM RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Make the cannoli filling: In the bowl of a mixer, beat all ingredients except the chocolate chips till light and fluffy. Fold in the chocolate chips and refrigerate, covered, till needed. Then, make the dough: Beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar till light and fluffy; scrape down the sides. Add the milk and vanilla and beat till incorporated. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour and salt and beat again. Divide the dough into two pieces and place each between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll each to a ¼" thickness, stack the doughs on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least one hour (or up to three days). Pre-heat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one dough at a time, place on your prepared baking sheet and cut out circles using a drinking glass or cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/2" cutter). Gather trimmings, re-roll and cut. Brush the edges of the circles with a bit of the beaten egg white and place ½ teaspoon of cannoli filling in the center. Fold the dough into a triangle shape and pinch the corners and edges firmly together. Brush the dough with some more of the egg white. Bake hamantaschen till golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When cooled, place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Last, melt the ½ cup of chocolate chips in the top half of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Cool slightly and transfer to a disposable pastry or ziploc bag. Snip a small opening in the corner and drizzle the chocolate over the hamantaschen. Refrigerate till set. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

PURIM HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together in the large bowl.
• Add the egg yolks and continue to mix well.
• Add the ice water.
• Gradually stir in flour until a ball of dough is formed.
• Place the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
• When ready to continue, take dough out of refrigerator.
• Turn on the oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the cookie sheet with the butter.
• Divide the dough in half.
• Wrap the extra half in the plastic and put back in the refrigerator.
• Roll out the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface to a 1/4" thickness.
• Cut it into 2" circles (use the top of a glass to"press out" the circles).
• Place 1 teaspoon of the jam in the center of each circle and fold into three-cornered cookies.
• Start by pressing two sides together, then fold the third side over and press the ends together.
• Place the Hamantaschen about an inch apart on the greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned along the edges.
• You don't have to limit yourself to jam, I have used chocolate, peanute butter, a combo of peanut butter and chocolate, date spread, etc.

HAMANTASCHEN (BEST EVER!)

Steps:

• For the filling, simply chop all the ingredients fine in your food processor and mix well.
• For the dough, cream sugar and eggs.
• Add oil and mix until it turns pale yellow and is no longer shiny.
• Mix in lemon and vanilla.
• In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. When it becomes difficult to mix, add more flour and knead.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• To assemble cookies, roll out dough (in batches) to desired thickness (maybe a little thinner than 1/4") and cut into circles of desired size (can use cookie cutter, inverted glass, etc). Put a dollop of filling in the center of each cookie and fold up into a triangular shape, pinching the corners and leaving the center open so that the filling peeks out.
• Bake cookies for about 15 minutes until they are beginning to brown. I've always greased the cookie sheet very lightly with non-stick spray, but I don't know that you need to.

CHOCOLATE HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in orange zest and vanilla, then add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down bowl as necessary.
• Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. Add finely chopped chocolate and beat until just combined. Form dough into three 1-inch-thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• On a floured work surface, roll out dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. With a 2 3/4-inch round cutter, cut out circles; place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Gather scraps, chill, and repeat.
• Whisk together remaining egg and 1 teaspoon water in a bowl. Brush circle edges with egg wash. Place 1 rounded teaspoon coarsely chopped chocolate in center of each circle. Lift sides of dough toward center, over filling, to form a triangle; pinch seams together. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHIP HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Put the confectioners' sugar and the egg yolks in a food processor and blend. Add butter and lemon zest and process to blend. Gradually add the flour and the salt, pulsing until it forms a ball. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder until smooth.
• Pour the milk into a small saucepan with the vanilla bean. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and remove the vanilla bean. Scrape the inside of the bean and add to the pan.
• While whisking vigorously, pour 1/3 of the milk into the yolk mixture, then pour back into the saucepan. Continue to whisk constantly while simmering over low heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens into a creamy pudding consistency.
• Remove from heat, add the bittersweet chocolate and whisk until the chocolate has melted and the cream is smooth. Pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placed directly on the cream. Refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 pastry sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap one of the chilled dough disks and place on a piece of parchment paper that has been dusted lightly with flour. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper. Let stand at room temperature until malleable, about 5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to press and roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch- thick round between the sheets of parchment, flipping the dough occasionally. Use a plain biscuit or cookie cutter or glass to cut 3-inch circles, placing the circles on the prepared baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until firm while you repeat the rolling/cutting process with the second round of dough.
• Remove the first pan of dough rounds from the refrigerator. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each, and press up the sides to form triangles, pinching the ends closed. Top the filled cookies with a few extra chocolate chips. If the dough is too firm, let stand a minute or two to soften; returning the baking sheet to the refrigerator if the dough becomes too soft. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
• Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake until golden and dough is delicately firm all the way through, about 13-18 minutes, rotating the racks front to back and top to bottom after about 10 minutes.
• Place trays on wire racks for 10 minutes before transferring cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely.

GREAT-GRANDMOTHER BUBBIE'S HAMANTASCHEN

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.

HAMANTASCHEN WITH POPPY SEED FILLING

Steps:

• Put the confectioners' sugar and the egg yolks in a food processor and blend. Add butter and lemon zest and process to blend. Gradually add the flour and the salt, pulsing until it forms a ball. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put milk, sugar and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Grind poppy seeds to a fine powder in coffee grinder, taking care not to over-process to a paste. When milk mixture is warm, turn heat to low and add poppy seeds and raisins. Cook at a low simmer stirring frequently until the seeds absorb the milk and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, brandy, orange liqueur and butter. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the vanilla extract, remove from the heat and let cool completely, or chill until needed, up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap one of the chilled dough disks and place on a piece of parchment paper that has been dusted lightly with flour. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper. Let stand at room temperature until malleable, about 5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to press and roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch- thick round between the sheets of parchment, flipping the dough occasionally. Use a plain biscuit or cookie cutter or glass to cut 3-inch circles, placing the circles on the prepared baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until firm while you repeat the rolling/cutting process with the second round of dough.
• Remove the first pan of dough rounds from the refrigerator. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each, and press up the sides to form triangles, pinching the ends closed. If the dough is too firm, let stand a minute or two to soften; returning the baking sheet to the refrigerator if the dough becomes too soft. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
• Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake until golden and dough is delicately firm all the way through, about 13-18 minutes, rotating the racks front to back and top to bottom after about 10 minutes.
• Place trays on wire racks for 10 minutes before transferring cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely.

POPPYSEED HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• For the filling: Finely grind the poppy seeds, in batches if necessary, in a spice or coffee grinder. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir in the almond milk, sugar, honey, vanilla, salt and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring often, until thick and jammy (if you draw a spoon across the bottom of the pan, you will see a line), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. (You can refrigerate to expedite the process.)
• For the dough: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the coconut oil and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and 2 of the eggs, then beat until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat on medium-low just until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until the dough firms up enough to be rolled but is not so cold that it will crack, about 15 minutes. (You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate, but let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before rolling.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg with a splash of water. Cut the dough in half. Roll one piece on a floured work surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 3-inch ring cutter to cut out as many circles as you can, saving the scraps. To form the hamantaschen, brush a circle with the egg wash and dollop about a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold the dough up into 3 corners to form a triangle with the filling exposed in the middle. (Don't worry if the hamantaschen don't look completely full at this point; the filling expands as it bakes.) Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining circles and dough half, rerolling the scraps once, if desired.
• Have your sprinkles standing by. Brush the hamantaschen with the egg wash (just the dough, not the filling). Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the filling is bubbly and the dough is set and light golden, about 12 minutes. While the filling is still hot, top with the sprinkles. Let cool before serving.

HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix them together with your hands until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and oil together vigorously until thoroughly combined. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix them together with your hands for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the water and continue mixing with your hands until the dough comes together, another 30 seconds or so.
• Scrape the dough onto a floured surface, adding a little more f lour if the dough is too sticky. Use your hand to flatten the dough slightly into a thick disk, and wrap the disk very snugly in aluminum foil. Refrigerate until the dough is firmly set, about 3 hours.
• Make the apricot or prune filling: Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set the mixture aside until it is just cool enough to handle, then transfer it to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate the filling until it's completely cooled before using.
• Make the poppy-seed filling: Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced somewhat, 15 to 20 minutes. Set the mixture aside until it is just cool enough to handle, then transfer it to a food processor and process until the poppy seeds have broken down and are thoroughly incorporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Refrigerate the filling until it's completely cooled before using.
• Shape, fill, and bake the cookies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator (it will look and feel quite oily) and transfer it to a floured surface. Tear off a small piece of dough and roll it between your hands into a ball roughly the size of a Ping-Pong ball; use your hand to flatten the ball into a thick disk. Repeat with the remaining dough to make roughly 28 disks and hold them in the refrigerator. Then, pull one disk out at a time and place it onto a sheet of floured parchment paper. Fold the edge of the paper over the top of the disk, and use a tortilla press or rolling pin to flatten the dough until it's roughly doubled in width. Using the same sheet of parchment and adding flour as needed, repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Working with 1 flattened piece of dough at a time, dollop a heaping tablespoon of the filling of your choice in the center of the dough. Then gently fold 1 edge of the dough over the side (but not over the top) of the filling and press the edge slightly against the filling so it stays in place. Next, bring up a second edge the same way. Finally, bring up the third edge and pinch the 3 seams together, creating a triangular pastry with a little of the filling still exposed at the top. Transfer it to a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper and greased with oil or cooking spray (use a bench knife or a metal spatula to gently scrape the bottom of the filled cookie off the work surface, if necessary). Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover the filled cookies with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cookies, rotating the tray halfway through baking, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

HAMANTASCHEN DOUGH (AKA HAMANTASHEN / OZNEI HAMAN)

Steps:

• Beat eggs and sugar until creamy.
• Add oil and beat. Add juice and extracts. Add baking powder. Gradually add flour until it becomes a good dough consistency.
• Fill with favorite filling and shape.
• Bake at 350°F on lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes (until bottom is golden).

HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Let butter and cream soften at room temperature. Cream them together until thoroughly blended; beat in sour cream.
• Stir in salt, sugar and the egg.
• Gradually beat in flour, adding just enough to make a dough that will stick together. Form a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill overnight.
• Before rolling out dough, prepare filling by blending prune jam with remaining ingredients. Set aside.
• Divide dough in half; place one half in the refrigerator while you roll the first. Place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter top or pastry board and place the first half of the dough on it. Top with a second sheet of waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between sheets of waxed paper, turning the dough over with the paper so it is rolled on both sides and lifting the sheets of paper between every two or three rollings. Dough should be about 1/8-inch thick.
• Roll the second half of the dough in the same way.
• Using a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles from the rolled out dough. Place a well-rounded teaspoon of prune filling in the center of each circle.
• Moisten the edges of each circle with a little cold water and shape triangles; be sure to pinch the three corner seams tightly closed.
• Arrange hamantaschen on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before baking.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake hamantaschen for about 15 minutes or until bottoms and tops are golden brown.

HAMANTASCHEN-COOKIES (HAMAN'S HATS)

Steps:

• Hamantaschen are the traditional cookies of Purim, a festive holiday on the Jewish calendar.
• Grease cookie sheets.
• In large bowl, beat eggs slightly.
• Add sugar, orange peel and margarine; beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.
• Add flour; mix well.
• Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 1/2 hours for easier handling.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out 1/4 of dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Keep remaining dough refrigerated.
• Cut with floured 3-inch round cookie cutter.
• Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
• Spoon heaping teaspoonful poppy seed filling on center of each circle. Moisten edges of dough circles with water.
• Shape into triangles as shown in diagram, folding 3 sides in without completely covering filling; pinch corners to seal.
• Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
• Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

FRUIT-FILLED HAMANTASCHEN FROM PHILADELPHIA

Steps:

• 1. To make the filling, simmer the prunes and raisins together in the water, covered, for 15 minutes or until the prunes are softened but still firm.
• 2. Add the nuts, then put the mixture through a grinder or chop in a food processor with the apple. Add the lemon juice and rind and sugar and mix well.
• 3. To make the dough, cream the margarine or butter with the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and continue creaming until smooth. A food processor is great for this.
• 4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Process until a ball of dough is formed.
• 5. Chill for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
• 6. Taking one fourth of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles. With your finger, brush water around the rim of the circle. Drop 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Then bring the dough around the filling and press 3 ends together.
• 7. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven on a well-greased cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tips are golden.