Hamentashen
This cookie, traditionally baked for the Purim holiday, can be made with a variety of fillings - a mix of dried fruits, apricots, prunes, raspberries, poppy seeds, and even chocolate. Why not? There are also many ways to make the dough, so there's no end to the debates among bakers for the "best" hamentashen.
The recipe below is truly an old favourite. Ruth Kettner, Founder of the Children’s Hospital Child Life Department in Winnipeg and uber-Baba, got it from her mother, so it's stood the test of time. The citrus flavouring in the dough and the right blend of jam and dried fruits produce the most delicious hamentashen I've ever tasted.
Cut the dough into circles, using a 2 1/2 inch glass or a cookie cutter, or watch this video. Pinch the circles into a triangle and seal the edges.
Bake, then put on the kettle and enjoy. Click here for more fabulous desserts.
Makes about 40 cookies
Ingredients for Dough
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup oil
Finely cut zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
Method
Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and egg yolks. Beat extremely well. Add the oil in a stream. When the oil is absorbed, stop and remove the beaters from the bowl.
Add the finely cut orange zest and the juice. Mix them into the egg mixture by hand.
Add the baking powder and flour and mix into the egg mixture until completely combined. Put into a container or wrap in plastic and chill for several hours or overnight.
Ingredients for Filling
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup pitted prunes
3-4 tablespoons apricot jam or citrus marmalade
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk
Using a food processor, blend the raisins, apricots, dates and prunes until combined. Add the jam and lemon juice. The mixture should be a soft pulp, but not too soft.
Form the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Roll out the dough on a floured board or counter to about 1/8" or 3 mm. thickness. Cut the dough in circles , 3 inches (7.5 cm) across (a standard coffee mug is usually adequate). Put a teaspoon full of filling in the centre of each dough circle, folding up and pinching the 3 sides together, leaving the centre open, if possible. Here's how.
Grease a cookie sheet and place the cookies on, leaving enough space to expand.
Mix the yolk with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the cookies with the mixture. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until gently browned.
Hamentashen freeze well.
This cookie, traditionally baked for the Purim holiday, can be made with a variety of fillings - a mix of dried fruits, apricots, prunes, raspberries, poppy seeds, and even chocolate. Why not? There are also many ways to make the dough, so there's no end to the debates among bakers for the "best" hamentashen.
The recipe below is truly an old favourite. Ruth Kettner, Founder of the Children’s Hospital Child Life Department in Winnipeg and uber-Baba, got it from her mother, so it's stood the test of time. The citrus flavouring in the dough and the right blend of jam and dried fruits produce the most delicious hamentashen I've ever tasted.
Cut the dough into circles, using a 2 1/2 inch glass or a cookie cutter, or watch this video. Pinch the circles into a triangle and seal the edges.
Bake, then put on the kettle and enjoy. Click here for more fabulous desserts.
Makes about 40 cookies
Ingredients for Dough
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup oil
Finely cut zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
Method
Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and egg yolks. Beat extremely well. Add the oil in a stream. When the oil is absorbed, stop and remove the beaters from the bowl.
Add the finely cut orange zest and the juice. Mix them into the egg mixture by hand.
Add the baking powder and flour and mix into the egg mixture until completely combined. Put into a container or wrap in plastic and chill for several hours or overnight.
Ingredients for Filling
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup pitted prunes
3-4 tablespoons apricot jam or citrus marmalade
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk
Using a food processor, blend the raisins, apricots, dates and prunes until combined. Add the jam and lemon juice. The mixture should be a soft pulp, but not too soft.
Form the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Roll out the dough on a floured board or counter to about 1/8" or 3 mm. thickness. Cut the dough in circles , 3 inches (7.5 cm) across (a standard coffee mug is usually adequate). Put a teaspoon full of filling in the centre of each dough circle, folding up and pinching the 3 sides together, leaving the centre open, if possible. Here's how.
Grease a cookie sheet and place the cookies on, leaving enough space to expand.
Mix the yolk with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the cookies with the mixture. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until gently browned.
Hamentashen freeze well.