Hamantashen

[redfox]

Happy Purim!

I bet the butter does make some difference. The dough wasn't wet, but I thought maybe the wetter filling might have made the bottoms a little soggy and hence fragile. I think the main thing is just that I rolled them too thin, and maybe also that I messed with them before they were really really fully cool. They taste fantastic, though, so I'm happy.

[bloviatrix]

I bet they taste amazing with butter.

Must stop drooling......

[cakewalk]

I made hamentaschen for the first time in years, and had varying results with the different types I made. The double chocolate hamentaschen dough gave me a lot of difficulty. Wouldn't roll out without falling apart, couldn't get it thin, etc. I used butter, I don't know if that was the reason or if it might have had something to do with the ground almonds added to the dough mixture. In any case, they didn't look too hot because the dough was on the thick side and sort of "patched" together, but they did taste damned good (Valhrona cocoa helped a bit on that end).

I also made a "regular" hamentaschen dough, using canola oil for this recipe, which rolled out like a dream (it was a recipe I found on the web last year, which was called "Blue Ribbon Hamentaschen" because it won a blue ribbon at some contest or other.) For the filling I bastardized a recipe and used a combination of dried fruit (prunes, apricots, craisins) simmered together in OJ and honey, then added raisins, chopped almonds, some lemon juice, cinnamon and powdered ginger. These came out great, if I may say so myself. I made a lot (small ones, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter), brought them in to work and to my synagogue, where they were promptly devoured. I have eaten more hamentaschen in the past three days than I've eaten in the past three years. And I ain't done yet!

Happy Purim!

[Rachel Perlow]

For those having trouble rolling out their dough, try doing what I did. Which was, divide the dough into portions and smoosh each ball into a circle for filling, folding & pinching.

[JFLinLA]

The pile of hamantashen I brought to the office are almost gone already. I made these last afternoon/evening using a double recipe of the yeast dough I posted in the eGRA. Here, I've got poppy, prune, raspberry, blueberry/cheese, almond, apricot & pecan/caramel. For the kids at home, I've left some almond, pecan/caramel, chocolate using nutella, and raspberry for the one kid that eats fruit. Both kids packed some in their lunches for today. I've got one more piece of dough in the fridge which I'll finish up some time this week with poppy (home-made filling) for my husband when he finishes the batch I made him late last week.

The ones made from the cookie dough recipe for the carnival were a big hit . . . as always.

[Pam R]

IS it too early for hamantashen this year? Or do we get to make them twice for Purim Katan and ....well .... Purim?

(I've already made several batches... but I'm thinking I'm alone here....)

[Pan]

My local Hungarian-style kosher bakery makes them year-round, but the soft ones are available only around Purim, and those are their best.

[Swisskaese]

They started selling them here two weeks ago. So make and eat them all you want!

What recipe do you use?

I use Claudia Roden's. I think it is the best and my fillings are apricot lekvar and prune and walnut. My fiance does not like poppy seeds.

[Pam R]

What recipe do you use?

I use Claudia Roden's. I think it is the best and my fillings are apricot lekvar and prune and walnut. My fiance does not like poppy seeds.

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I use my own recipe. It's a cookie-type dough... because I know not of :

...  the soft ones are available only around Purim, and those are their best.

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My grandmother used to make a triangular bun(?) made from sweet dough and filled with wild blueberries or saskatoon berries every year for breaking the fast. Would that be similar?

I like to fill mine with a lekvar type filling - cook apricots with amaretto and a little almond extract, dried cherries with rum (sometimes mix chocolate chunks into that one) and dates with Rye (whiskey). I like to combine the shalach manot with the drinking until you don't know your own name rule YOu don't get crazy alcohol flavours, but it does contribute a nice little something.

[Pan]

I use my own recipe.  It's a cookie-type dough... because I know not of :

...  the soft ones are available only around Purim, and those are their best.

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My grandmother used to make a triangular bun(?) made from sweet dough and filled with wild blueberries or saskatoon berries every year for breaking the fast. Would that be similar?[...]

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Yes, a triangular bun. Wild blueberries or saskatoon berries? I wish! Sounds good! The flavors they make them in are poppyseed (mun), prune, apricot, and I think strawberry. I prefer the poppyseeds but also like the prune.

[M. Lucia]

I just had to add that Moishe's hammentaschen on 2nd Ave led to some added pounds when I first moved to New York. I adore the pastries, and my friend's mom always makes me a batch every year.

I like the big ones, not the minis, esp. poppy or raspberry, and I am so happy to find this thread. Do you think there are bakeries that sell more experimental ones (like the gingerbread I saw mentioned above)?

[Pan]

Yeah, you're right: Raspberry, not strawberry. I also concur in much preferring the big (regular-sized) ones. But I wish they used less salt in the non-soft hamantashen.

[Pam R]

I like the flavour of raspberry... but are there seeds? can't handle seeds.

How much salt are they putting in? My recipe calls for a pinch (and it makes about 3 dozen... (using 3" rounds)

how small is a mini?

[Pan]

I'm not privy to their recipes, Pam. All I know is that I wish it were less salt. I don't think their raspberry jam has seeds in it.

[Pam R]

dare I suggest making yourself a batch? :) They're easy...

[JFLinLA]

I make 2 different kinds of hamentashen doughs. (They are probably discussed elsewhere in this thread if you go way back.)

For the family, I make an old fashioned yeast dough that I got from a friend of mine. I make these in 2 sizes -- the large ones for us and the the bite-size ones for the kids lunch boxes.

For the temple, I make a very easy to handle cookie dough with (yes!) margarine. That's because we get a pile of folks in the kitchen and make hundreds and hundreds of them assembly line fashion all in a matter of about 3 hours which includes rolling, cutting, filling, pinching, glazing, baking, cooling and packing. We need a dough that all of our team members can handle regardless of their baking skill or dexterity. These are the bite-sized kinds.

I purchase many of the regular fillings -- poppy (mohn), prune lekvar, apricot, raspberry, almond, etc. Although I have made many of these as time allows. I also make non-traditional fillings as I never liked the traditional ones as a kid. These include caramel-pecan (from the Judy Zeidler book) and a sweet cheese filling (like the filling for a cheese danish) from my friend who gave me the yeast dough recipe. Oh yes, and after years of trying to come up with my own chocolate filling that I liked, I now use Nutella -- yum!

Edited February 19, 2005 by JFLinLA (log)

[M. Lucia]

I can't remember if there are seeds- I don't think so. I never noticed too much salt, you shouldn't have told me, now I might imagine it.

Does the yeast dough kind look similar to the cookie kind? I've only ever had the cookie kind, so I am looking forward to trying the softer ones.

[Pan]

[...]

Does the yeast dough kind look similar to the cookie kind? I've only ever had the cookie kind, so I am looking forward to trying the softer ones.

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No, the soft ones don't look the same, except for their general shape (of course). They really are a kind of sweet roll with filling.

[JFLinLA]

[...]

Does the yeast dough kind look similar to the cookie kind? I've only ever had the cookie kind, so I am looking forward to trying the softer ones.

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No, the soft ones don't look the same, except for their general shape (of course). They really are a kind of sweet roll with filling.

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Actually, the yeast dough I make is not that sweet which really allows the focus to be on the fillings. It's rather flaky.

[Pam R]

Actually, the yeast dough I make is not that sweet which really allows the focus to be on the fillings.  It's rather flaky.

Is there a recipe upthread that I missed.... or are you willing to share?

I have never had a flaky yeast dough hamantashen... and y'all have made me want one.

My copy of Jewish Holiday Baking - by Marcy Goldman just arrived today - I haven't had a chance to really go through any of the recipes yet... but she has a whole hamatashen section. This yeast dough thing intrigues me.

[JFLinLA]

Actually, the yeast dough I make is not that sweet which really allows the focus to be on the fillings.  It's rather flaky.

Is there a recipe upthread that I missed.... or are you willing to share?

I have never had a flaky yeast dough hamantashen... and y'all have made me want one.

My copy of Jewish Holiday Baking - by Marcy Goldman just arrived today - I haven't had a chance to really go through any of the recipes yet... but she has a whole hamatashen section. This yeast dough thing intrigues me.

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Sorry 'bout that. The recipe is probably somewhere back in this thread from another year but here goes again:

Dough:

1 cake yeast (or 1 package -- it's an old recipe)

1/2 cup luke warm milk

3 cup sifted flour

2 T sugar

1/4 t salt

1/2 lb. butter

2 egg yolks

1 egg for glazing

Dissolve yeast in milk and let stand for 25 minutes. Sift flour, sugar and salt. Work in butter. Add 2 beaten egg yolks and yeast mixture. Knead dough.

On a floured board, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. But into 4 or 5 inch rounds. Put scant tablespoon of filling in center of each round and pinch edges to form triangle. Plase on greased or lined cookie sheet. Cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour. Brush tops with egg beaten with 1-2 T water. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

Cheese filling -- Cream 8 oz. cream cheese. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 T flour, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 t vanilla. Beat until smooth & creamy.

[daniellewiley]

I use my own recipe.  It's a cookie-type dough... because I know not of :

...  the soft ones are available only around Purim, and those are their best.

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Pam, would you mind sharing your recipe? I have also not heard of the soft ones, and as I'm not a huge fan of yeast-y desserts (I don't even like yeast donuts), I'm thinking I should stick with the good old cookie kind that I grew up with.

I'm trying to find a local service and carnival to bring my daughter to, and can't find one!! The reform temple here just has the service followed by a pizza dinner!!

I have such great childhood memories of dressing up as Esther and winning sickly goldfish that died two days later. I thought I'd get to share the joy, but Toledo, Ohio is a bit different than Long Island, I guess.

[Pan]

I use my own recipe.  It's a cookie-type dough... because I know not of :

...  the soft ones are available only around Purim, and those are their best.

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Pam, would you mind sharing your recipe?[...]

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I have no recipe. You'd have to contact Moishe's bakery and see if he would send you his recipe.

[Edit: I think you meant to ask whether Pam had a recipe for soft hamantashen. Do you, Pam?]

Edited March 16, 2005 by Pan (log)

[daniellewiley]

Pam, would you mind sharing your recipe?[...]

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I have no recipe. You'd have to contact Moishe's bakery and see if he would send you his recipe.

[Edit: I think you meant to ask whether Pam had a recipe for soft hamantashen. Do you, Pam?]

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Actually, I want Pam's cookie-style recipe. I don't know that I could handle the soft kind.

[Pam R]

hmmm.. I also think you were asking me... but I think for my cookie dough recipe, not a yeast dough.

So here's my cookie-type dough recipe:

Makes 32-38 cookies

3/4 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1 pinch salt

2 cups all-purpose flour -- approximately

In a mixing bowl use a spoon to cream together the shortening and sugar. (You can use an electric mixer.)

Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing. Add the baking powder, salt and about 1 1/2 cups of flour. Depending on many variables the dough will require different amounts of flour. Slowly add more flour to the dough until the dough is soft and smooth, but not greasy or sticky - between 2 and 2 1/2 cups of flour.

This dough does not like to be refrigerated - once you've made it, use it right away.

Cut the dough into thirds and roll out one section, about 1/8" thick on a well-floured workspace. Use a cup or a can to cut approximately 3" circles.

Place approximately 1 teaspoon of a filling of your choice in the center of each section. Bring three sides of the dough together to make a triangle. Pinch the 3 corners together and place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper).

Place in a preheated 350º oven for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.

edited to ask if anybody can staighten out copyright issues for me... I hold copyright, but the recipe has appeared in a newspaper (or 2) - does that matter?

Edited March 16, 2005 by Pam R (log)