my friends, it's hamantaschen time. the traditional Jewish triangular pastry with a multi-lingual pun for a name has returned.
are you in need of a good hamantaschen recipe? well look no further! I now present to you my family's tried and true recipe for delicious and objectively the best hamantaschen!
4 egg yolks (yellow only)
2 margarine sticks, softened
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix everything together EXCEPT the flour. Then, slowly sift (or just like.... gently pour) the flour in one cup at a time while mixing, until the dough comes easily away from the bowl. It should be able to easily stick to itself, but not your hands. (You might not need all of the flour, so keep an eye on your dough.)
Flour your working surface and your rolling pin very well, and roll out half the dough until it's about 1/4 inch thick I think? I've never measured the thickness tbh but it shouldn't be too thin or thick. You don't want it to split in the oven, and you don't want it the ratio of cookie-to-filling to be off.
Take a glass/cup and cut out circles in your rolled out dough.
For the filling, you can use whatever you want! Popular fillings include nutella and strawberry or apricot jam, as well as poppy seed paste and prune butter.
also, yes this *will* make a mess. that's part of the fun! I always thought making hamantaschen was like an arts and crafts activity.
Now, take a small bit of your chosen filling and place it in the center of one of the circles. You'll need less than you think! It should probably be about a nickel sized dollop. Bring the bottom, left, and right sides of the circle up to the same point to create a triangular shape. Pinch closed in the center and along the seams *very* well, otherwise they might split in the oven!
Some people leave an opening in the center, but I always like to pinch them closed all the way because it helps them keep the classic triangle shape.
They should look something like this:
Repeat with the rest of the circles. Gather up the extra dough from between the circles and re-roll it out, but don't forget to re-flour your surface and rolling pin! Continue with the rest of the dough until you're done.
Set them on a well oiled pan about an inch apart and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn brown.
*note for non-Jews: yes you too can make hamantaschen! this is a cultural food that doesn't have significant religious implications. however, please remember to appreciate, and not appropriate, our culture. learn the history of what you're making! baking this yummy treat out of genuine curiosity is fine: celebrating our holidays on your own is not. â€
