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# Hamentashen

This one is from my grandmother’s old cookbook (Jewish Cookery, Leah Leonard, 1949) It’s a little on the imprecise side, but given that the cookbook is sixty years old, that’s not surprising. I’ve added notes where I could, and will continue to update it when possible.

Please let me know how it worked and if you made any changes.

Update:

The hamentashen was tested by a nice reddit user who filled them with peach preserves, and a raspberry jam said they came out beautifully, and if you use Jam, use a little less since it tended to boil over.

Dough

Ingredients:
2/3 | C | Butter (shortening in original recipe)
1/2 | C | Sugar
1 |  | Egg
3 | T | Milk or Water
1/2 | t | Vanilla
2 | C | Sifted Flour – you might need an extra 1/2C depending on the weather and the flour.

Directions:

- Cream shortening and sugar.
- Add egg and continue creaming until smooth
- Add liquid and vanilla and sifted flour and stir until it forms a ball.
- Chill 2 – 3 hours or overnight

When chilled . . .

- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Roll out on a lightly floured board until 1/8″ thick
- Cut into 2 inch rounds
- Place ball of filling the size of a hazelnut in the center of each round
  (NB. This is between 15mm and 24mm, or somewhere between the size of a US nickle and a US quarter dollar)
- Fold over the edges (three sides) and press with fingers
- Place on a cookie sheet and bake until light brown (about 20 minutes)

Poppy Seed and Honey Filling

Ingredients:
2 | C | Poppy Seeds
1 | C | Water or Milk
1/2 | C | Honey
1/4 | C | Sugar
1/8 | t | Salt
2 |  | Eggs (Optional)

- Combine everything except the eggs in a saucepan
- Cook over moderate heat until thick, stirring to prevent scorching.
- Let cool before adding eggs, beating in thoroughly. If the eggs thin it out to much, return to heat and stir while cooking 1 – 2 more minutes.
- Fills 24 small or 12 large hamentashen