Way, Way, Way Pre-Purim, but...
Nov. 6th, 2006 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gnomi...since a few people responded "What are hamantaschen" in my poll last week:
Hamantaschen are a pastry that are traditional for the holiday of Purim. There are various methods of making them (bread-like dough vs. cookie dough; various fillings), but below the cut is my mother's traditional recipe (and, fear not, I shall strive to remember to post this again closer to Purim (which in 5767 is 4 March 2007)).
Hamantashen
Dough:
1/4 lb. margarine
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Favorite Hamantashen fillings
2 eggs
Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla together. Add eggs; beat thoroughly. Combine baking powder and flour, and stir into dough. Knead into a ball and refrigerate one hour. Roll out dough on a well floured board. Cut into circles with a glass. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center and pinch the corners together, forming a triangular shape. Slip a table knife blade under the edge of the dough to make this easier, if you prefer. Bake on an UNGREASED cookie sheet in the top third of a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes. These don't spread significantly on the cookie sheet. Double above recipe for one filling recipe at bottom of this page.
Apricots, Raisins and Prunes (Oh, My!)
1 pound box of prunes, cut up and pitted
1/2 box dried apricots, cut up
1/2 box yellow raisins
Process these ingredients in food processor with steel blade.
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 c. orange juice
Put all ingredients in saucepan, cover and boil until soft, or process in a microwave oven at full power for 5 minutes.
Variations:
- Add 1/2 c. chopped nuts
- Omit orange juice and use 1/2 c. sugar and 2 c. water
- Add up to 2 tbsp. lemon rind and lemon juice if using sugar and water, and it's too sweet
Alternate fillings:
1. Chocolate or other flavored chips, singly or mixed (these are very popular with both children and adults). Just put in a teaspoonful and close up dough. They melt as they bake. If you want to keep these pareve, be sure to check the package of chocolate bits for this designation, as many brands are now dairy. Make a lot of these if you make any.
2. Any of the commercial fillings, as manufactured by Solo or others. I usually add chopped nuts or lemon rind and/or juice to these.
3. Prune butter or apricot butter available commercially. Try a few first, to see if it's too runny when baked. If it is, add chopped nuts, ground fine in the processor to thicken. This is often the problem when using commercial jams and preserves.
Eleanor Pearlman
It is to be noted that my mother and I transliterate hamantaschen differently. Regardless of spelling, they're still tasty.
Hamantaschen are a pastry that are traditional for the holiday of Purim. There are various methods of making them (bread-like dough vs. cookie dough; various fillings), but below the cut is my mother's traditional recipe (and, fear not, I shall strive to remember to post this again closer to Purim (which in 5767 is 4 March 2007)).
Hamantashen
Dough:
1/4 lb. margarine
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Favorite Hamantashen fillings
2 eggs
Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla together. Add eggs; beat thoroughly. Combine baking powder and flour, and stir into dough. Knead into a ball and refrigerate one hour. Roll out dough on a well floured board. Cut into circles with a glass. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center and pinch the corners together, forming a triangular shape. Slip a table knife blade under the edge of the dough to make this easier, if you prefer. Bake on an UNGREASED cookie sheet in the top third of a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes. These don't spread significantly on the cookie sheet. Double above recipe for one filling recipe at bottom of this page.
Apricots, Raisins and Prunes (Oh, My!)
1 pound box of prunes, cut up and pitted
1/2 box dried apricots, cut up
1/2 box yellow raisins
Process these ingredients in food processor with steel blade.
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 c. orange juice
Put all ingredients in saucepan, cover and boil until soft, or process in a microwave oven at full power for 5 minutes.
Variations:
- Add 1/2 c. chopped nuts
- Omit orange juice and use 1/2 c. sugar and 2 c. water
- Add up to 2 tbsp. lemon rind and lemon juice if using sugar and water, and it's too sweet
Alternate fillings:
1. Chocolate or other flavored chips, singly or mixed (these are very popular with both children and adults). Just put in a teaspoonful and close up dough. They melt as they bake. If you want to keep these pareve, be sure to check the package of chocolate bits for this designation, as many brands are now dairy. Make a lot of these if you make any.
2. Any of the commercial fillings, as manufactured by Solo or others. I usually add chopped nuts or lemon rind and/or juice to these.
3. Prune butter or apricot butter available commercially. Try a few first, to see if it's too runny when baked. If it is, add chopped nuts, ground fine in the processor to thicken. This is often the problem when using commercial jams and preserves.
Eleanor Pearlman
It is to be noted that my mother and I transliterate hamantaschen differently. Regardless of spelling, they're still tasty.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-06 07:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 07:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 07:39 am (UTC)But if those wacky Japanese got working at it, they'd have cubical grapes... very cornered.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 04:32 am (UTC)Bread dough? Why would anyone make hamantaschen with bread dough? I'd certainly never use bread dough. *is boggled* I'm wicked lazy and just use jam for fillings. Yeah, it dribbles out the sides and gets all over everywhere, but that's half the fun.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-07 07:41 am (UTC)