1/2 c (1 stick) plus 3 tbs butter
-or margarine, softened
1/2 c Sugar
1 lg Egg
3 tb Orange juice, sweet red
-wine, or water or (2 tbs
-water and 1 tbs lemon
-juice)
1 ts Vanilla extract or grated
-lemon zest
1/4 ts Salt
2 3/4 c All purpose flour, about
1 1/2 c Poppyseed filling, lekvar
-(prune jam) or povidl (plum
-preserves), about*
from “The World of Jewish Cooking” by Gil Marks
Beat butter or margarine until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat
until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. Beat in the egg. Blend in the
juice, wine, or water, vanilla or zest, and salt. Stir in enough of the
flour to make a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill until
firm, at least 1 hour. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for
several days or in the freezer for several months. Let stand at room
temperature for several minutes, until workable but not soft. Preheat the
oven to 375 degrees. Have several baking sheets ready. (Do not grease the
sheets). For easy handling, divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly
floured surface or piece of waxed paper, roll out each piece 1/8 inch
thick. Using a 2 1/2 to 3 inch cookie cutter or glass**, cut out rounds.
Reroll the scraps. Place 1 tsp of filling in the center of each round.
Pinch the bottom side of the dough round together over the filling. Fold
down the top flap and pinch the other two sides together to form a
triangle, leaving some filling exposed in the center. (Hamantaschen can be
prepared ahead to this point and frozen for several months. Defrost before
baking.) Place the hamantaschen 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake
until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool
completely.
*I use “Solo” brand poppyseed, apricot and prune fillings; they’re good
tasting and convenient. Leftovers can be used to make a coffee cake or just
spread on toast.
**A 6oz tuna fish can well washed, with both sides removed with a can
opener is a perfect size to cut dough.
Yields
1 Servings