HAMENTASHEN


TRADITIONAL HAMENTASHEN DOUGH
This dough, made with shortening and
butter, yields a light, cookie-like texture. If
you require a dairy free dough, simply use all shortening or non-dairy
margarine (instead of butter and shortening). Brush with egg wash and
sprinkle with plain sugar or colored sprinkles.

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
l 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice or milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups, approximately, all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
EGG WASH
FILLINGS (Chocolate Hazelnut Paste, Cherry, Apricot, Prune, or Poppy)
OPTIONAL: REGULAR OR COARSE SUGAR  
Cream the shortening and sugar. Add
eggs and blend until smooth. (If mixture is hard to blend or seems
curdled, add a bit of the flour to bind). Stir in orange juice or milk
and vanilla. Fold in flour, salt, and baking powder and mix to make a
firm but soft dough. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface
and pat into a smooth mass. Cover and let rest ten minutes. Divide dough
into two or three flattened discs. Work with one portion at a time.
(Wrapped in plastic, dough can also be refrigerated for 2-3 days.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll out dough on lightly floured board
to a thickness of 1/8th inch. Use a 3 inch cookie cutter and cut into
rounds. Brush rounds with egg wash. Fill with a generous teaspoon full
of desired filling. Draw three sides together into center.  Brush
pastries with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with regular or coarse
sugar, and bake in a until golden brown, about 18-25 minutes.

If you prefer, this dough can be made
ahead and refrigerated (up to 2 days) or frozen (in either a disc of
dough or already formed as filled pastries for a couple of months). If
refrigerating, allow dough to warm up before rolling out. For frozen
pastries, bake without defrosting.

Yields about 4-6 dozen pastries.


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