Prune Hamantaschen- pareve, dairy
"Haman's pockets, or Hamantashen, were brought to this country by
Jews from the eastern part of Germany and Eastern Europe...
The filling for the following Hamantashen recipe comes from the
Taste of History: Recipes Old and New put out by Philadelphia's
Historic Spanish and Portuguese Congregation,
Kahal Kadosh Midveh Israel, founded in 1740. With the filling I used
my own butter cookie dough, which everyone in my family loves.
Although adults like fruit or poppy-seed fillings, my children do
not, and they fill the dough with chocolate chipsand even make a
Hamantashen with chocolate chips and peanut butter.
I'll stick to this prune filling and leave the chocolate-chip
Hamantashen to them." - Joan Nathan
Fruit Filling:
3/4 cup pitted prunes
1/3 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
1/4 apple with peel
Juice and rind of 1/4 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
Dough
2/3 cup pareve margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
1. To make the filling, simmer the prunes and raisins together in
the water, covered, for 15 minutes or until the prunes are softened
but still firm.
2. Add the nuts, then put the mixture through a grinder or chop in a
food processor with the apple. Add the lemon juice
and rind and sugar and mix well.
3. To make the dough, cream the margarine or butter with the sugar.
Add the egg and vanilla and continue creaming until smooth. A food
processor is great for this.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Process until a ball of
dough is formed.
5. Chill for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
6. Taking one fourth of the dough, roll out on a lightly floured
board to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles. With
your finger, brush water around the rim of the circle. Drop 1
teaspoon of filling in the center. Then bring the
dough around the filling and press 3 ends together.
7. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven on a well-greased cookie
sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tips are golden.
Yield: 36 cookies (P) with margarine; (D) with butter
Regional Variation: A similar and equally delicious Hamantashen
filling comes from Natchez, Mississippi. Naturally, it includes
pecans rather than walnuts.
Source: Jewish Cooking in America Joan Nathan |