Cake Mix Hamentaschen for 5775

Cake Mix Hamentaschen

Every year at Purim it seems that I find myself with an abundance of boxed cake mix in my pantry.  I'm not entirely sure how they all sneak into there, but it seems like a good a time as any to use them up.  Several years ago I found a recipe from Mommzy for hamentaschen using cake mix and I've been trying variations on the that recipe since then.  This year was definitely no different.  A couple of years ago I posted about the cake mix confetti version.  I made that again this year, but changed the recipe a bit.  I added a bit of oil to the dough and it seemed to make it much more pliable and less dried out.  I also decided to try the same marshmallow filling, but add it before baking rather than after.  I'm so glad I did.  The dough is much easier to work with this way and the marshmallow filling is super good when it bakes into the center.  I hope you try it for yourself!

Here is the recipe again with the changes.

Cake Mix Confetti Hamantaschen

1 box cake mix (I used yellow)

2 Tbs. sprinkles (jimmies)

1 cup flour

2 Eggs

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 Tbs. Water

Marshmallow filling

Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until a ball forms.  Roll out dough on a floured surface to approximately 1/8th inch.  Cut the dough into 3" circles with a cookie cutter or a glass.  Add a teaspoon of marshmallow filling to the center and pinch closed into triangle shapes.  Bake at 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Remove cookies to cool on rack.

Marshmallow filling

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup marshmallow fluff (about half of a 7 oz. container)

Add the shortening, 3/4 cup of sugar, and marshmallow fluff to the bowl of a mixer.  Mix ingredients together on a medium speed until a thick, spreading consistency is reached.

  

South African Crunchies - GS World Thinking Day

This year our troop chose the country of South Africa to participate in Girl Scout World Thinking Day.  As part of our WTD presentation, we thought we would like to offer a little treat to our "visiting" troops.  Crunchies are popular cookie (or biscuit) in South Africa and are reminiscent of a chunchy-style granola bar.  There are several recipes out there on the web.  I based our recipe mostly on this recipe from "Lick Your Own Bowl".  I adapted the recipe a bit for American ingredients and added a chocolate drizzle on top for an extra finish.  Truthfully, they are excellent plain and actually my daughter prefers them that way!

South African Crunchies

1½ sticks butter
2 Tablespoons golden syrup, or cane syrup*
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
1 cup coconut

1 Tablespoon grated orange zest (from one orange)

1-2 oz. chocolate melting wafers, optional

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Prepare a 9 x 13” pan by greasing lightly and lining the pan with parchment paper. Measure the dry ingredients (oats, flour, coconut, zest, and salt) into a large mixing bowl. 

 In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and syrup on a medium-high heat, stirring to combine. When the mixture reaches a low boil, turn off the heat. Carefully add the baking soda and stir gently. The mixture will bubble up a bit, so be careful. Add the hot butter/sugar mix into the dry ingredients and stir to combine until evenly coated. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. 

 Place another piece of parchment or waxed paper on top and smooth and press the mixture into the pan.

 Remove extra paper and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. After removing from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cutting in to squares. 

Crunchies

Optional – after cutting into squares, melt chocolate in a microwave safe dish. Drizzle melted chocolate over crunchies using the tines of a fork. Allow chocolate to set before serving. (Makes about 4 dozen)

* may substitute dark corn syrup if you can't find the cane syrup.

Crunchies with chocolate drizzle