Gingerbread Hamentaschen

Gingerbread Hamentaschen

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup dark, unsulfured molasses

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. fine salt

Apple butter, or other filling of choice

Icing drizzle: 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar mixed with about 2 Tbs. water or milk

Salted caramel sauce

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg, molasses, and vinegar.  Sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter.  Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic.  The dough will be very sticky and needs to be chilled thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Preheat to 375 degrees F.  Roll out dough on floured surface to ¼ inch.  Using a 3” round cutter, cut the dough and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

  Fill each round with about ½ teaspoon of apple butter, or other filling. 

Pinch dough to form triangle shape and seal filling.  If you find the dough getting too soft, place the tray in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes to firm up.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until no imprint remains when touched lightly with a fingertip.  Allow cookies to cool on racks. 

Decorate with a drizzle of icing or salted caramel, if desired. 

Pretzel-taschen Pretzel Hamentaschen

Pretzel-taschen Pretzel Hamentaschen

Makes 18 to 24 pieces

 2 ¼ tsp dry yeast

1 cup warm water

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 Tbs. brown sugar

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

4 Cups water and 1/3 cup baking soda for the water bath

About 4 ½ ounces of cheese, cut in to ¼ ounce pieces

Pretzel salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast. When the yeast dissolves, add the oil, sugar, flour and salt.  Turn the mixer on low or mix by hand until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is no longer sticky. Let the dough rise in a greased, covered bowl until it doubles in size, about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  After the dough rises, turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Cut in to 18 to 24 pieces.  Roll each piece slightly into a ball and then using a rolling pin, flatten to a circle.  Roll up the edges of the dough to form a triangle.  Pinch the seams at the three corners. 

Place dough on a lightly greased parchment lined tray.  Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water and bring to a low simmer.  Add 1/3 cup baking soda and stir gently.  Add 2-3 pretzels at a time into the water bath.  Boil for about a minute and drain. 

Place back on baking sheet.  Add cheese and sprinkle with salt. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the oven until brown and the cheese is melted.  

Rainbow Hamentaschen

 Rainbow Hamentaschen

Makes about 3 dozen

Basic Hamentachen Dough:

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup sugar

¾ c. oil

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 Tbs. Baking powder

½ tsp. Salt

4 ¾ c. Flour

Food Color

1-2 (12 oz.) cans pastry filling (like Solo)

(3 cans if doubling the recipe.)

In a large bowl, beat eggs with the sugar until well-combined. Add oil and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until completely combined. Divide the dough into 6 (six) pieces.  Place each piece into a separate small bowl and add color of choice. Fold color into dough until evenly mixed.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.  Add the first color of dough to the bottom of the pan.  Spread evenly and press the dough down in to the pan.  Add the next color and repeat until all the colors are layered in to the loaf pan.  Cover with remaining plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight.  After the dough has chilled, remove the plastic wrapped dough and cut lengthwise.  Stack the dough on top so that you have two bands of rainbow dough.  Make ½ inch slices in the dough from the short end onto a lightly-floured counter.  Roll each of these slices out slightly to about a ¼ inch thickness.   

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a round cutter, cut circles and place the dough circles on the parchment sheets. Add about a scant teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon for 3" circles) of pastry filling onto the center of each circle. Fold up the edges to form a triangle and pinch the edges together. 

Bake cookies for about 12-15 minutes (10-12 for smaller cookies). Any remaining dough can be gently pinched together and used to form additional cookies.  Cool on baking sheet briefly before transferring them to cooling racks to completely cool. Store in airtight container.

Happy Purim