The Spoon

It’s hamantaschen baking time

The one-day rabbinic Jewish Festival of Purim (PU-rim, PAWR-im), a very merry celebration of the events in the Megillah (m’-GILL-uh) Hadassah (Book of Esther), begins at sundown on Thursday, March 20 on the civil calendar, and with its costumes, noisemakers, food baskets, hamantashen cookies, a festive meal and carnivals, Purim is a favorite Jewish holiday for children and adults alike, especially for those with a great thirst because Purim requires more alcohol consumption than does St. Paddy’s Day.

Ashkenazi (Central and Eastern European) Jews eat hamantaschen (HAH-men-TAH-shen), tri-cornered fruit-filled cookies in reminiscence that the Persian Prime Minister, the evil Haman, was supposed to have worn a tri-cornered hat.

For a Blue Ribbon hamantaschen recipe, click more

This hamantaschen recipe won the 2000 Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon!

Here’s what you will need:

Cookie dough:
3 eggs
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup orange juice

Filling:
3 tablespoons orange juice filling (canned prune and apricot fillings were used for the State Fair entries).

Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune. Apricot, apple butter, pineapple preserves, and cherry pie filling all work quite well.

For a special HONEY-NUT FILLING:

1 lb. of honey
1 lb. ground or chopped walnuts

Heat honey to boil, then stir in walnuts.

Oil a platter or board, pour walnut-honey mixture on platter or board and let cool.

When cool, cut into triangles (approximately 1″ per side).

Here’s what you need to do:

1. With an electric beater, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually.

2. Add oil and beat well.

3. Combine flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture alternatively with the orange juice. Mix well. You may need to add a drop more juice if you think it is too dry or a little more flour if you feel it is too loose.

4. Divide dough and wrap in waxed paper.

5. Chill dough for several hours.

6. Remove dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8th inch thickness and cut into 2-1/2 inch circles.

7. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling or honey-nut triangles in each center.

8. Pinch edges together firmly to form a closed triangle over the filling.

9. Place on a non-stick sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack.

Source:

http://www.bnaiemet.org/Womens_League/recipes/Purim/blue_ribbon_hamentaschen.htm

Posted in Cakes & Sweets, Ethnic, Jewish, Kosher, Recipes | 2 Comments »