Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies/Haman’s Hats
Makes 4 to 5 dozen
These easy, versatile cookies are fun to make with the kids. If you cut them in triangles, you can call them “Haman’s Hats”!
Tip: Freezes well.
Ingredients:
2 eggs- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup orange juice or water
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Additional sugar for dipping
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process eggs with sugar, oil and juice until blended, about 5 seconds.
- Add baking powder and flour. Process just until mixed, using on/off pulses. Do not over-process.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 1/8th inch thick. Using assorted cookie cutters, cut in different shapes. Dip each cookie lightly in sugar. Place sugar-side up on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden.
Variation: HAMAN’S HATS:
- Add ¼ cup poppy seeds with dry ingredients.
- Roll out dough thinly, then cut in triangles using a fluted pastry wheel or pizza cutter.
- Dip in sugar and bake as directed. Perfect for Purim!
Adapted from The New Food Processor Bible by Norene Gilletz.
Hamantaschen
Yields approx. 4 dozen
Fill these triangular treats with homemade or store-bought fillings. You can also use thick preserves or canned poppy seed filling.
Tip: Freezes well.
Ingredients:
- Basic oil dough (recipe follows)
- Filling of your choice (recipes follow)
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons water
Instructions:
- Prepare dough and desired filling as directed. (Can be prepared in advance and refrigerated or frozen.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Flour each piece of dough lightly. Roll out on a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles, using a round cookie cutter or a small juice glass.
- Place a spoonful of filling on each circle. Bring up 3 sides to meet, then pinch edges of dough together to form a triangle. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- Place on sprayed foil-lined cookie sheets. Brush with egg glaze.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.
Basic Oil Dough
Makes enough to fill 4 dozen hamantaschen
This dough is excellent as a pareve cookie dough or for hamantaschen. Try some of the scrumptious fillings (below).
Ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized seedless orange (thin-skinned)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2¾ cups flour (approximately)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions:
- Cut orange in quarters but do not peel. Process in a food processor until fine, using the steel blade, about 25 seconds. Add eggs, sugar and oil. Process for 10 seconds. Add flour and baking powder.
- Process with several on/offs, just until flour is blended into dough. Do not over-process. Dough will be fairly sticky. Remove from bowl with a rubber spatula onto a lightly floured surface. Use as directed.
Adapted from The New Food Processor Bible by Norene Gilletz.
Five-Fruit Filling
Tip: Mixture can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for several days, or frozen.
Makes approx. 3 cups (1 cup filling is enough to fill 12 to 16 hamentashen)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium seedless orange (thin-skinned)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 cup pitted prunes
- 1 cup dried apricots
Instructions:
- Cut orange into chunks, but do not peel. Cut away both the navel and the stem end.
- In the processor, process orange until finely ground, about 20 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients and process until finely ground, about 15 to 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Adapted from Healthy Helpings by Norene Gilletz.
Prune Filling
Yields 2½ cups filling (enough for 4 to 5 dozen hamantaschen).
Tips: Freezes well. Feel prunes with your fingertips to make sure they don’t contain pits or you could damage the steel blade.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium seedless orange
- 1 (12 oz.) package pitted prunes (see tip below)
- 1½ cups raisins
- ¼ cup walnuts (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar or granular Splenda (optional)
Instructions:
- Cut orange in quarters but do not peel.
- Use a food processor fitted with the steel blade to prepare the filling. (If you have a smaller processor, you may have to do this in 2 batches.) Process orange until fine, about 20 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients and process 15 to 20 seconds, until fine.
Adapted from The New Food Processor Bible by Norene Gilletz.
Apricot Almond Triangles
Makes 4 dozen
These are jam-good! You’ll go nuts over them.
Tip: Freezes well.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup margarine, cut in chunks
- 2½ cups flour
- ¾ cup finely ground almonds
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups apricot jam
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup slivered almonds
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
For the base: - In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process margarine, flour, ground almonds, sugar. and vanilla until crumbly, about 20 seconds.
- Reserve 1½ cups of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.
For the topping: - Mix apricot jam with lemon juice; spread evenly over base. Crumble reserved crumb mixture over jam layer, and then sprinkle with slivered almonds.
- Bake 30 minutes longer, until golden. Cool completely.
- Cut with a sharp knife into 24 squares, then cut each in half diagonally to form 48 triangles.
Adapted from The New Food Processor Bible by Norene Gilletz.
Copyright © Norene Gilletz 2012. All rights reserved.
Norene Gilletz is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. She divides her time between work as a food writer, culinary consultant, spokesperson, cooking instructor, lecturer and editor. Norene lives in Toronto, Canada and her motto is: “Food that’s good for you should taste good!” For more information, visit her website at www.gourmania.com or email her at goodfood@gourmania.com.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.