Almond Hamantashen Cookies

blucoat's Note:

This recipe from Eileen Goltz is more time-consuming than many hamantashen recipes, but the compliments you’ll receive will make it worth it! Eileen Goltz, is a professional chef and caterer, and the author of the Kosher cookbook, "Perfectly Pareve". The recipe was printed in my local paper.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 36 cookies

• ½ cup chopped blanched slivered almond
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup cold unsalted butter or ¾ cup margarine , cut into small pieces
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1⁄8; teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest

Filling

• 7 -8 ounces marzipan or 7 -8 ounces almond paste
• 1 large egg white
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• water
• 1 -2 drop food coloring (optional)
• 1 ½-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:

1. To prepare dough, place almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until finely ground. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Process in on/off pulses for about 15 seconds longer, or until the ingredients are well blended. Sprinkle the butter over the dry ingredients. Process in on/off pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat together sugar, egg, egg white, lemon juice, almond extract and lemon zest. Add egg mixture to the processor and process for 30 seconds, or until ingredients are incorporated and dough begins to mass around the blade – be careful not to over process.
2. Turn dough out of the processor and divide in half. Roll out each half to a scant 1/4-in. thick between sheets of parchment paper, being sure to smooth out any creases in the underside of the dough. Stack dough sheets on a large tray or baking sheet and refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or until cold but not stiff.
3. To prepare filling, combine marzipan, egg white, lemon juice and food colouring (if used) in the food processor. Add 1 teaspoon water and process until the mixture is smooth and well blended. If mixture is still too dry to hold together, add enough additional water (1 to 2 tbsp.) to soften and smooth it.
4. Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease several baking sheets or line them with parchment paper and set aside. Remove one sheet of dough from the refrigerator and carefully peel off the bottom sheet of parchment paper, then replace it loosely. Turn dough over and peel off top sheet of paper. Cut dough into rounds using a 2- or 2 1/2-in. round cutter or rim of a drinking glass.
5. Working with one dough round at a time, place a small, rounded 1/2 teaspoons marzipan filling in the centre and fold up dough to form triangle. The marzipan should mound just slightly in the centre of the “hat.”.
6. Repeat with each round, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the rounds become soft and difficult to handle at any point, slide the cookies and parchment paper onto a tray or baking sheet and refrigerate until they firm up again.
7. Gather dough scraps and roll out between sheets of paper again. Cut out the cookies, transfer to baking sheets, and fill and shape until all the dough is used. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.
8. Place hamantashen in centre of oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are just barely tinged with brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks and let stand until cooled completely. Sprinkle the tops with a generous sifting of powdered sugar. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.