Hamantashen

[Sandra Levine]

I'm wondering what method do you all use of placing the filling on the dough. 

It's possible to pipe lekvar, but the apricot filling I use (see the link to the earlier thread) is too lumpy to go through the tube neatly. I just make sure that my hands are clean and I use my index finger to "help" the filling off the teaspoon onto the circle of dough.

If you get a chance, I wouldn't mind a copy of the gingerbread-apricot hamentaschen recipe either.

Edited March 1, 2004 by Sandra Levine (log)

[JFLinLA]

I'm wondering what method do you all use of placing the filling on the dough. 

It's possible to pipe lekvar, but the apricot filling I use (see the link to the earlier thread) is too lumpy to go through the tube neatly. I just make sure that my hands are clean and I use my index finger to "help" the filling off the teaspoon onto the circle of dough.

If you get a chance, I wouldn't mind a copy of the gingerbread-apricot hamentaschen recipe either.

If you are making a lot, I find it's easier to do all of the like steps together. So

cut, cut, cut . . . then

fill, fill, fill . . . then

pinch, pinch, pinch

You get the idea. You sort of get a rhythm going. I tried piping one year and it wasnt' worth the effort.

[Comfort Me]

Every year I have the same thought -- why on earth am I making yeasted dough? they are so hard to pinch closed! I pinch and pinch and pinch -- last night, while the first two dozen were in the oven, I pinched and twisted the rest -- twisting the pinched ends and tucking them under the cookie. I get so frustrated when they don't turn out perfectly. Any hints?

[Jason Perlow]

Has anyone ever attended the Latke-Hamentaschen Symposium?  This mock academic debate centers on the gastronomic, psychological, economic and theological implications of the two delicacies--and, of course, which treat is better.

This debate sprouted at the University of Chicago back in the 1940's and since has spread to college campuses nationwide. 

Have you been there, Comfort Me?

Okay, here's a theoretical. If Hamantshen got in a battle with Mandel Bread, who would kick who's ass?

The Hamentashen, but then the Rugelach would swoop in from above and kick his ass with his heat vision and chocolate filling.

[Rhea_S]

Not Jewish and I don't think I've ever had hamentashen although I made tri-corner hat cookies with almond filling for Christmas this year. Anyway, all of the wonderful posts have made me want to try making some real hamentashen. I know I read somewhere on here about the shape when using a yeasted dough, but I can't seem to find that part now. Are the yeast ones still triangular with an open bit in the middle?

[JFLinLA]

Every year I have the same thought -- why on earth am I making yeasted dough? they are so hard to pinch closed! I pinch and pinch and pinch -- last night, while the first two dozen were in the oven, I pinched and twisted the rest -- twisting the pinched ends and tucking them under the cookie. I get so frustrated when they don't turn out perfectly. Any hints?

I dip the tips of my fingers in a little water, shake most of it off, then run them around the edge of the circle of dough, then pinch. I'm sure it violates some rule of pastry chefs but the moisture helps glue everthing together. You could use some egg I suppose but this is easier.

Not Jewish and I don't think I've ever had hamentashen although I made tri-corner hat cookies with almond filling for Christmas this year. Anyway, all of the wonderful posts have made me want to try making some real hamentashen. I know I read somewhere on here about the shape when using a yeasted dough, but I can't seem to find that part now. Are the yeast ones still triangular with an open bit in the middle?

Yes. The shape is what makes hamantashen, regardless of the type of dough.

[Comfort Me]

Has anyone ever attended the Latke-Hamentaschen Symposium?  This mock academic debate centers on the gastronomic, psychological, economic and theological implications of the two delicacies--and, of course, which treat is better.

This debate sprouted at the University of Chicago back in the 1940's and since has spread to college campuses nationwide. 

Have you been there, Comfort Me?

Okay, here's a theoretical. If Hamantshen got in a battle with Mandel Bread, who would kick who's ass?

The Hamentashen, but then the Rugelach would swoop in from above and kick his ass with his heat vision and chocolate filling.

Jason:

You are too funny! I just shot hot coffee out my nose all over the keyboard!

My IT people are going to love me! But F*** it. I needed a good laugh! Thank you!

Now if it were a match between the Rugelach and Mega-Streisand, who would win? (Southpark fans are the only people who will get the reference!)

[challah-baker]

Hmmmm. For a while this thread had more flame than Bourdain's salamander. To get back to the topic, I recommend this variation on Apricot Lekvar as a filling, guaranteed not to leak or run!

The original is from "Pie and Pastry Bible" but this is my version.

500 grams dried apricots

2 liquid cups orange juice

250 grams sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped crystalized ginger

Put dried apricots into a 4 quart sauce pan. Add orange juice. Let them soak for about 3-4 hours. When they start to soften, bring to a boil. Cover tightly. Simmer on a very low heat for about 1/2 hour until the apricots are very tender when you pierce them with a fork.

Let cool for about 10 minutes. Then, put the apricots and any liquid left into a food processor with a metal blade. Add the sugar and ginger. Blen until very smooth.

Then put the mixture back into the saucepan and again over a very low heat simmer stirring constantly for 15 minutes until the color turns dark orange and it is very thick. (Beranbaum says it should take 3 seconds for the mixture to fall of a spoon when it is ready. I have always found cooking it for 15 minutes to work just fine) This will keep until next Purim int he fridge, although we usually finish it on egg matzoh by the end of Pesach if any is left.

[bloviatrix]

Guys, I killed my back. All I know is that this morning I could barely move. Help!!! I've got baking to do.

Yesterday I went shopping and picked up the pre-printed Purim "lunch boxes" for mishloach manot packing. We decided we're just giving hamentaschen, mini bottles of grape juice (always comes in handy for kiddush) and a bar of chocolate. It's simple, but keeps the junk food to a minimum.

I think I need to pop some muscle relaxants and hope I'm back to myself in the morning.

[Comfort Me]

Blovi:

Sorry about your back. I hope you are feeling better soon. (Now is the time to call family or friends and ask to walk over for Shabbat dinner at their place!)

Night three of the hamentaschen bake-a-thon found me just too freakin' tired, so I did a huge cheat -- one I'm quite pleased with. I portioned the yeast dough into roll-sized pieces, flattened them out, plopped in some coconut jam or some pear preserves, rolled them into loaves, then plopped them into mini loaf pans. One will go in each box with hamentaschen, grape juice, and candy. Best thing, I was in bed at 9:15!

You've got a misheberach from me, missy. (I hope you stayed in bed today!)

Aidan

[bloviatrix]

I'm determined to get my batters done today. I'll just move around slowly. Can't do any baking because Blovie still hasn't cleaned the oven (he's convinced I pursposely hurt my back to get out of cleaning ).

[bloviatrix]

I'm please to report that my gingerbread and chocolate doughs are happily chilling in the fridge.

Jodi, I was concerned the recipe you provided wouldn't be large enough so I ended up taking a recipe from Gil Marks World of Jewish Desserts and replaced 2/3 cups of flour with an equal amount of cocoa powder. Hopefully it will work.

[JFLinLA]

Oy, how many are you planning to make? The Judy Zeidler recipe I gave you easily makes 5-6 dozen of the smaller size (~3" disk of dough before folding).

[How many? Like I should even raise an eyebrow -- the leader of the "assembly line" producing 700-1000 in under 2 1/2 hours, plus the dozens I make for me.]

[bloviatrix]

I can't give you numbers - I've never counted. But I like having a lot. We give mishloach manot to 12 families- at 8 hamentashen per family . Plus, I like having left over for snacking at home.

I'm used to using recipes that have a minimum of 4 cups of flour so when I saw the 2 - 2 1/2 cups I got nervous.

[Socrates]

Hello, all. Been gone too long.

Anyway, there are hamantashcen in the oven right now!

[Jason Perlow]

First Hamentaschen out of the oven... these are mohn (poppyseed filling) with a sugar cookie type dough.

Here is a sample of one we made with a cream cheese pastry dough... These were assembled the same way as the others above, but they opened up. However, they still taste pretty damn good.

Here's a perfect example of an Apricot one, using the cream cheese dough. I think Rachel pinched these tighter than the first go around. The Apricot filling is made of natural dried apricots from Whole Foods reconstituted with orange juice and then pureed.

[Rachel Perlow]

Here are ingredient lists for 4 different doughs for hamentashen my mom and I found in her old synagogue community cookbooks. Last night I made the first 2. I made rather small cookies. Instead of rolling out the dough and using a cutter, I portioned each dough into quarters and each quarter into a dozen balls (4 dozen total). Then pressed the balls flat (about 2 inches in diameter, quite thin), filled with about 1/2 tsp filling (very easy to over fill these). The cream cheese dough baked for 20 minutes at 350. The cookie dough only took 15 minutes and was darker in color.

The cream cheese dough is flaky, but not sweet at all. It would be better if you made larger hamentashen with this, so that the larger amount of filling it could hold would offset its lack of sweetness. Jason had another good suggestion for this dough: Savory Hamentashen. Fill the triangles with spinach (sauteed with garlic or with feta) or mushroom duxelle and serve as a side dish at a Purim meal. I have used this dough before for rugelach or for hors d'oevres (filled as above, but made into little turnovers).

As small cookies, we both preferred the sweeter egg dough. Next time I want to make them with butter, since I'm not so concerned about keeping them parve.

Cream cheese pastry

8 oz butter

8 oz cream cheese

2.5 cups flour

I added some grated orange zest

Hamentashen cookie dough 1 (we halved this recipe)

4 eggs

1 cup oil

1.25 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

.25 tsp salt

5-5.5 cups flour

#2 - yet to make

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 very soft butter

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

#3 - yet to make

1 cup sugar

1 cup of eggs

1 cup shortening/margarine

3.5-4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

.25 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

[Rachel Perlow]

The apricot filling was about 1/2 cup unsulphered apricots (they were brown) and a handful of golden raisins, put into a bowl and orange juice to cover. Microwave for about 4 minutes and allow to rest for about 1/2 hour. Put plumped fruit into blender and pulse to grind. Shouldn't be too smooth and add as little of the juice left in the bowl as possible. A food processor would probably have been easier since it was so thick.

[redfox]

I have made the gingerbread apricot hamantaschen. I am not a practiced hamantaschen folder and pincher, so I have a rather homely collection of cookies. But they taste divine, so I am not complaining.

I ran out of filling (Solo) just as I was finishing up, so I have three that are filled with ginger preserves. I wonder if they will be good or just Too Much. We'll see.

Thanks so much for the recipe and idea.

[Rachel Perlow]

Did you use the Solo apricot filling straight? I've found it too thin in the past so I made my own this time. The prune & mohn are good though.

[redfox]

The Solo behaved pretty well, though thicker would have probably been better. In some combination of factors including rolling my dough too thin, a too-wet filling, and a fragile dough, these cookies have turned out to be very fragile. They are breaking all over the place -- the ones I am taking to a friend tonight have had to be wrapped like Faberge eggs.

That cream cheese dough looks nice and sturdy. Maybe one could contrive a gingerbread version of that?

[Rachel Perlow]

That dough is sturdy enough, but nice and flaky, especially as I made sure not to overmix the dough -- think of it more like pie crust. Add a little molassas and powdered ginger to any recipe and you could call it gingerbread!

[redfox]

The "successful gingerbread hamantachen," as imageGullet calls them. I did not take pictures of all the cracking breaking ones!

[bloviatrix]

Redfox, I never find that dough particularly wet or fragile. I double-checked my typing before I initially sent it. I wonder if I made a typo. My other thought is what type of fat did you use? I've never used butter, so I don't know if that affects the texture.

This year I used the Healthy Balance non-hydrogenated fat margerine because I make mine pareve. It worked pretty well. After about 9 months of trying to decide whether or not I like this brand, I've decided it passes the baking test.

For the chocolate ones I used something called "spoonable fruit" that erupted through the center when I baked the hamentashen. I couldn't remember what I used in past years and I liked that it was seedless. Well, after 3 dozen I was panicking. So I made the rest with apricot.

The mishloach manot are almost totally packed. We're going simple. 8 'tashen (4 of each), and bar of chocolate, and mini bottle of grape juice. If we owned a digital camera, I would include photos, but we don't

HAPPY PURIM!!

[Suzanne F]

Happy Purim to all! There's supposed to be a Rabbi Ribeye piece about hamantaschen on The Daily Gullet, but it's a bit slow in appearing. Hope y'all won't mind reading it when you're all stuffed to the gills with the dainty little things (HA! dainty? My grandma's sure weren't! )