Hamantaschen

Submitted by JamiSings

Dough Ingredients

3 c. flour ½ c. almonds, finely ground
1½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt
½ c. sugar Zest of one lemon
½ lb. unsalted butter or margarine 1 egg
2 tbsp cold water 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten

Poppy Seed Filling Ingredients

4 oz. poppy seeds ½ c. milk
1 tbs unsalted butter or margarine ¼ c. seedless raisins, plumped
¼ c. toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds 1 tbsp honey
½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl & blend thoroughly. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds, baking powder, salt, sugar, & lemon zest. Blend or cut in the butter until the mixture resembles very fine crumbs.
  4.  In a small bowl beat the egg, water, & lemon juice until well blended. Add to the flour mixture & beat until completely blended & the mixture begins to form a dough. Do not overmix.
  5. Transfer to a floured board & knead the dough into a ball. Divide the ball into 6 or 7 equal portions for easier handling. Flatten each portion with the palms of your hands & roll it out to ¼” thick. With a scalloped cookie cutter, cut into 3½” rounds.
  6. Place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of each round. Fold the edges of the dough toward the center to form a triangle, leaving a bit of the filling visible in the center. Pinch the edges to seal them.
  7. Place the hamantaschen on a lightly greased foil-like baking sheet & brush with the egg white. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to racks to cool.