The Best Ever Cherry Hamentashen

Caryn Gale's Note:

We eat hamentashen on the holiday Purim. They are triangle shaped cookies because Haman had a triangle shaped hat. My dad owns a bakery and is a baker my whole life. He makes these hamentashen every Purim. They are my favorite. When I was in college he always mailed me a box. Now I just make them myself. Hamentashen are traditionally filled with poppyseed filling or prune filling, but my Dad makes other flavors too. Cherry is my favorite, but you can also use apricot jam or use your imagination.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 12-18

Yield: 2.0 dozen

• 3/4 cup margarine, softened (not tub margarine)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I often just use a squirt of lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 drop water
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 1/4 cups flour

Directions:

1. Cream margarine in mixer bowl.
2. Add sugar and beat till fluffy.
3. Beat in egg, lemon peel, and vanilla.
4. Add in flour and salt.
5. Beat in water a few drops at a time until dough starts to come away from sides of bowl.
6. Place dough in a 2-quart size bag and form into a flat disk.
7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2-3 hours and maximum of 2-3 days.
8. Roll out dough flat about an 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
9. Using a round cookie cutter or the top of a cup, cut out circles.
10. Spoon 2 cherries and a little bit of filling onto the dough circles.
11. To fold into the shape of a hamentashen (a triangle) use both thumbs and the two first fingers on each hand.
12. Slide two fingers from left hand under left side and two fingers from right hand under right side and two thumbs under the bottom of circle.
13. Bring all fingers (with dough) together to form a triangle and try to pinch close.
14. Repeat this process with remaining circles and dough.
15. Place on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
16. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top of each one.
17. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes or just starting to turn pale golden.

Reviews

[Lauren4372]

Very easy to make and delish! I used a full cup of butter and sugar along with the 1 egg. Just to add a little change, and because I didn't have a lemon, used a squirt of lime juice, and a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla. I also used the strawberry filling and it was a suprise hit with the family. Next time I am going to use homemade apricot preserves. Why wait for Purim?

[Chef #1565094]

Graet recipe! Thanks! I didi midify it a bit. First I used less sugar (2/3c), secondly, instead of regular flour I used whole wheat flour in one batch and whole spelt flour in the second batch. For those looking for whole grain, I highly recommend spelt. Whole wheat dough needed water, was not elastic and baked looking rough, although taste-wise both were great. Thanks for some a good dough recipe! (I used mashed steamed prunes with walnuts for a filling)

[shh]

I may have reviewed this recipe before since I've made it every Purim for several years, but this year posed some new challenges as I'm currently living in China. Since no pie filling was commercially available, I made fresh strawberry filling using this recipe (http://www.recipezaar.com/raspberry-blueberry-blackberry-or-strawberry-filling-385533), and Lekvar (prune) filling using this recipe (http://www.recipezaar.com/Lekvar-Prune-Plum-Filling-or-Apricot-54692). I accidentally used whole wheat flour, which actually worked out very well, especially with the prune. They were certainly a hit at this year's Purim dinner party.