It’s Adar! That means it’s time to make hamentashen.....
Making hamentashen should be a fun experience. It sure was a lot of fun for me developing new recipes for hamentashen this year. Lovingly formulated by the Kosherology team are three awesome hamentashen recipes for Purim: Chocolate-Orange, Cranberry-Sage, and Candy Lover's, all giving a twist to the traditional hamentash....move over poppy seed and apricot fillings.
Candy Lover's Hamentashen
I'm not really sure where you can go wrong with this one. Sweet cookie dough bedazzled by mini m&m's and stuffed with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup....a chocolate candy lover's hamentashen. Of course you can play around with this recipe, adding your favorite candies, as seen fit.
(makes 3 1/2 dozen 3" cookies):
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 4 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. orange extract or liqour
- Mini m&m chocolates
- Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine sifted flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a mixer, blend oil, sugar, and salt on starting on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high, until creamed. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until well blended. Add a little bit of the flour to thicken the mixture. Add orange juice slowly, alternating with the rest of the flour. Add vanilla and orange extract and beat until well combined. Roll out the dough (let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up if not firm enough to work with). Press the m&m's into the dough (by hand) until well distributed. Place dough in refrigerator for one hour, or until firm enough to work with.
When dough is firm enough to work with, remove from refrigerator roll out until dough is about 1/8" thick. Cut out the dough with a 3 " round cookie cutter. Slightly trim the bottom of the peanut butter cup, so it will not sit too high over the cookie dough. Place the cut cookie dough rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper and place a trimmed peanut butter cup in the center. Fold the dough around the cup to make a triangular shape- if you know how to make hamentashen you should already know how to do this. You can paint the inside edge of the dough with light eggwash if you need to keep the folds sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning half way through baking.
Cranberry-Sage Hamentashen
For those who like to mix savory with sweet and be adventurous and daring with their desserts and cookies, then this is the hamentash for you...... fresh sage incorporated into sweet cookie dough and filled with spiced cranberry conserve- a real culinary delight!
Hamentashen Dough (makes 3 1/2 dozen 3" cookies):
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 4 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. orange extract or liqour
- 1 bunch fresh sage, about 1/3 cup, finely chopped
- Cranberry Conserve for filling (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine sifted flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a mixer, blend oil, sugar, and salt on starting on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high, until creamed. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until well blended. Add a little bit of the flour to thicken the mixture. Add orange juice slowly, alternating with the rest of the flour. Add vanilla and orange extract and beat until well combined. Finally, add the chopped sage and beat until well incorporated into the dough. Place dough in refrigerator for one hour, or until firm enough to work with.
When dough is firm enough to work with, remove from refrigerator roll out until dough is about 1/8" thick. Cut out the dough with a 3 " round cookie cutter. Place the cut cookie dough rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper and fill with a TBS. of cranberry conserve in the center (you can add a little more if you like). Fold the dough around the filling to make a triangular shape- if you know how to make hamentashen you should already know how to do this. You can paint the inside edge of the dough with light eggwash if you need to keep the folds sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning half way through baking.
Fresh Cranberry Filling:
- 1 12 oz. package fresh cranberries
- 1 ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ water
- Rind of one naval orange
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 1/3 cup currants (raisins)
- 1 cup canned pineapple tidbits
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Bring water, sugar, and orange rind to a boil and continue to boil for about 10 minutes, until mixture is syrup –like. Add cranberries and currants and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until berries pop. Remove from heat and add pineapple and pecans. Pour into bowl and refrigerate overnight or until chilled.
Chocolate-Orange Hamentashen
Love Sabra? Then this is the hamentash for you....it's also the hamentash for you if you are a real chocolate lover- you know...the kind that loves real rich chocolate. Rich chocolaty dough filled with orange marmalade, these hamentashen are little chocolate-citrus pleasures.......
(makes 3 1/2 dozen 3" cookies):
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup cocoa power
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. orange extract or liqour
- Orange Marmalade for filling
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine sifted flour and baking powder and set aside.
In a mixer, blend oil, sugar, and salt on starting on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high, until creamed. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until well blended. Add a little bit of the flour to thicken the mixture. Add orange juice slowly, alternating with the rest of the flour and the cocoa powder. Add vanilla and orange extract and beat until well combined. Place dough in refrigerator for one hour, or until firm enough to work with.
When dough is firm enough to work with, remove from refrigerator roll out until dough is about 1/8" thick. Cut out the dough with a 3 " round cookie cutter. Place the cut cookie dough rounds on a baking tray lined with baking paper and fill with a TBS. of orange marmalade in the center (you can add a little more if you like). Fold the dough around the filling to make a triangular shape- if you know how to make hamentashen you should already know how to do this. You can paint the inside edge of the dough with light eggwash if you need to keep the folds sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning half way through baking.
