Hamantash Fest Week #1

This Sunday marks the month of Adar, and that means Purim, and hamantashen of course! Join Oorah’s Hamantash Fest! Send us pictures of your baking, your favorite recipes, and let us know your favorite variation.

To kickoff the Hamantash Fest, we turn to everyone’s favorite kosher recipe site for this week’s roundup! Kosher.com has many hamantash recipes, from traditional to creative to gourmet, and even gluten free. We chose the Mix and Match Hamantashen, a flexible recipe by Eileen Goltz, with lots of different options to please all palettes. Pick a dough, pick a filling and enjoy!

Hamantash Dough #1:

1.  1/2 cup butter or margarine
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 egg
4. 2 cups flour, plus more for rolling out
5. 2 tsp baking powder
6. 2 tbsp milk, soy milk, or water
7. 2 tsp vanilla, or 1 tbsp lemon zest

Instructions:

1. In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar.

2. Mix in the egg.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder together, and then add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in thirds alternating with the milk or water and vanilla, ending with the flour.

4. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling it out on a lightly floured surface.

5. Roll dough out to a quarter-inch thick. Cut into rounds and place a heaping spoonful of filling in the center of the round. Pull up the sides to form a triangle.

6. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15–30 minutes until lightly golden brown.

   Yields 2-3 dozen

Hamantash Dough #2:

1. 3 eggs
2. 1 cup oil
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 2 tsp baking powder
5. 1/2 cup water
6. 1/2 cup orange juice
7. 1/8 tsp salt
8. 4 cups flour
9. 1 egg beaten, for top

Instructions:

#1 Brownie Filling:

1. 5 oz semisweet chocolate
2. 3 oz unsweetened chocolate
3. 6 tbps butter or margarine
4. 2/3 cup flour
5. 1 tsp[ baking powder
6. 1/4 tsp salt
7. 2 eggs
8. 2 tsp vanilla
9. 1 tbsp instant coffee
10. 3/4 cup sugar
11. 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12. 1/3 cup chopped pecans
13. 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions: 

1. In a glass (microwavable) bowl melt the margarine, semisweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate together.

2. Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, vanilla, coffee and sugar.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

#2 Raspberry Filling:

1. 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam
2. 1 raspberry per hamantash
3. 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
4. 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Instructions: In a bowl combine the jam, nuts and breadcrumbs.  Use a teaspoon or tablespoon for filling, and just before cooking place a fresh raspberry in the open part of the hamentashen.

#3 Apricot or Prune Filling:

1. 1 pound dried apricots or pitted dried prunes
2. water to cover
3. 1 cup sugar

Instructions:

1. Take a pound of dried fruit, either apricots or prunes, and put them in a saucepan to cover with water and set them on the stove to cook until the water is almost gone. Don’t let the water; evaporate it will burn. You can add more water if needed and the fruit is not soft and mushy.

2. At this point add the sugar and continue cooking on a low temperature until the sugar is totally melted, 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature.

3. Using a food processor or blender process until smooth.

#4 Dried Fruit and Nut Filling:

1. 1 cup dried figs
2. 1/2 cup dried apricots
3. 1/2 cup raisins
4. 1/2 cup orange juice
5. 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
6. 1/3 cup walnuts
7. 1/4 cup corn syrup
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla
9. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
10. zest of 1 lemon

Instructions: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process for 2–3 minutes until combine but not totally pulverized. Should be chunky.

#5 Strawberry Filling:

1. 2 cups sliced strawberries
2. 1 tsp cinnamon
3. 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions: In a saucepan combine all the ingredients and cook at a medium heat for about 15 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely.

#6 Prune- Raisin Filling:

1. 1 1/4 cups dried pitted prunes
2. 3/4 cup raisins
3. water or prune juice to cover
4. 2 tbsp sugar
5. zest of 1 lemon
6. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
7. pinch ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Place the prunes, raisins, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan and add water or prune juice just to cover. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn off the heat and let stand for 30 minutes

2. Place the mixture in a food processor and process to a slightly chunky paste.

#7 Lemon Curd Filling:

1. 3/4 cup sugar
2. 2 tbsp corn starch
3. 1/8 tsp salt
4. 3/4 cup cold water
5. 2 egg yolks beaten
6. juice of 1 1/2 lemons
7. 2 tsp lemon zest
8. 1 tbsp butter or margarine

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the water and eggs. Whisk in the lemon zest and lemon juice.

2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Boil approximately one minute and then remove from heat.

3. Stir in the butter, cover with wax paper and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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