Hamentaschen

Cindy Vattathil
Apr 24, 2015
2 min read

Hamantaschen

Makes 20 to 30 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble the cookies: 1 large egg 2 tablespoons milk 1 1/2 cups of filling, such as fruit jam, Nutella, poppy seed filling, or thick compotes

Instructions:

Stir together the flour and salt, and set aside. With an electric mixer or in a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, zest, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Add the flour, a half a cup at a time, mixing gently. The dough should look crumbly, but stay together. Use your hands to form it into a smooth disk, then wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the egg and milk, then set aside.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. (If necessary, divide the dough in two and keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic until ready to use.) Use a 2- to 3-inch diameter biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out round circles, and use a spatula to transfer the rounds to the prepared cookie sheet.

On each round, spoon a 1/2 teaspoon of your desired filling. Lift up 3 sides and pinch the corners together to make a triangular 3-cornered hat shape, leaving the center of the filling exposed. Make sure you have thoroughly pinched the corners. If you're having trouble, you can moisten the surface of the dough lightly with the egg mixture.

Make sure there's about an inch of space between each cookie, then lightly brush the pastry with the egg wash.

Bake until lightly golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely before serving; overeager eaters will find themselves rewarded with scorching hot filling!