Hamantashen

These are the traditional triangular filled cookies eaten for the Jewish holiday of Purim. They are shaped like the 3-cornered hat worn by the bad guy in the story, Haman. The Purim story is from the biblical Book of Esther. OK -- history aside, these are yummy cookies! I tried 5 different recipes for hamantashen this year, and this was by far my favorite. This recipe is ever-so-slightly altered from the original, which is by Flo Braker, pastry goddess. Edited to add: the traditional fillings are spiced prune (lekvar), poppyseed, and apricot. My kids' favorites are cherry and chocolate. Do whatever makes you happy!

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 18
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 3  cups all-purpose flour (I used Ultragrain, which is a whole wheat with the texture of white)
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 lb butter or 1⁄4 lb margarine
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  large egg
• 1⁄2 cup  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract
• 12  ounces  pie filling, of your choice (canned or homemade)

Directions

1. Place rack in upper third of oven. Preheat to 350°F Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or grease them.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add egg and mix 1 minute.
5. Mix in orange juice, vanilla and almond extracts.
6. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, at least 15 minutes. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days.).
7. Divide the dough in half; it will be very sticky.
8. Cover 1 portion with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Place other half between sheets of floured wax paper and roll to 1/8 inch thick.
9. Use a 3-inch circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut circles.
10. Using a floured spatula, pick up circles and place on prepared baking sheets.
11. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling in the center of each circle. Press three edges together to make a triangle, leaving an opening in the center with the filling showing.
12. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.
13. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps and cutting out as many circles as possible.
14. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. If baking more than one sheet in the oven at a time, rotate baking sheet positions after 7 minutes.
15. Cool 5 minutes and remove to racks to finish cooling.
16. May be stored, airtight, for several days.