Date Filling For Hamentaschen Recipes

DATE FILLING FOR HAMENTASCHEN

Steps:

• Pulse dates, raisins, rind and cinnamon in a food processor until minced finely.
• Add nuts and pulse 1-2 times.

POPPYSEED HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• For the filling: Finely grind the poppy seeds, in batches if necessary, in a spice or coffee grinder. Transfer to a small saucepan and stir in the almond milk, sugar, honey, vanilla, salt and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring often, until thick and jammy (if you draw a spoon across the bottom of the pan, you will see a line), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. (You can refrigerate to expedite the process.)
• For the dough: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the coconut oil and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and 2 of the eggs, then beat until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat on medium-low just until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill until the dough firms up enough to be rolled but is not so cold that it will crack, about 15 minutes. (You can make the dough ahead and refrigerate, but let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before rolling.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg with a splash of water. Cut the dough in half. Roll one piece on a floured work surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Use a 3-inch ring cutter to cut out as many circles as you can, saving the scraps. To form the hamantaschen, brush a circle with the egg wash and dollop about a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold the dough up into 3 corners to form a triangle with the filling exposed in the middle. (Don't worry if the hamantaschen don't look completely full at this point; the filling expands as it bakes.) Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining circles and dough half, rerolling the scraps once, if desired.
• Have your sprinkles standing by. Brush the hamantaschen with the egg wash (just the dough, not the filling). Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the filling is bubbly and the dough is set and light golden, about 12 minutes. While the filling is still hot, top with the sprinkles. Let cool before serving.

HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, and 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Divide dough into thirds. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one-third of the dough from the refrigerator at a time. On a liberally floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. With a 3-inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many circles as possible, and place on a prepared baking pan. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the poppy-seed filling: Grind poppy seeds in a food processor. Place seeds in a medium saucepan. Add milk and honey. Cook over a medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add raisins and lemon zest. Remove from heat. Cool completely before using.
• Remove chilled circles from refrigerator. Place each filling into a medium pastry bag fitted with a coupler. Pipe 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle. Whisk together remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold in sides to form a triangle. Pinch dough to enclose the filling.
• Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes; then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Cut in margarine with 2 knives or a pastry blender. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well until dough comes together and is smooth. If dough is sticky, add more flour.
• Roll out dough on floured work surface until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Press the rim of a glass into flour and then into the dough to cut out circles.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon filling into the center of each circle. Fold up the 3 sides into a triangle shape, pinching the sides together tightly to seal. Transfer cookies to baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

CHOCOLATE HAMENTASHEN FILLING

Steps:

• In a microwave proof bowl melt the 5 oz semisweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate together.
• Mix in all the margarine, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, vanilla, coffee and sugar.
• Mix to combine and then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
• The extra filling (if any) may be made into chocolate brownie drop cookies.
• Makes enough filling for at least 3 dozen hamentashen.

DATE ORANGE FILLING FOR HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• In a food processor blend together all filling ingredients except water until an almost smooth, jamlike consistency. If date mixture is very dry blend in water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Filling may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.