Ingredients
Sweet hamantaschen dough:
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454 grams softened butter
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150 grams full fat cream cheese
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400 grams white sugar
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2 teaspoons vanilla
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1 teaspoon salt
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950 grams all purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 egg, whisked and set aside
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1 tablespoon white sugar for sprinkling
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Filling of your choice
Poppyseed filling:
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1 cup poppyseeds
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1 cup whole milk
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1/2 cup sugar
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1/3 cup honey
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Zest of one orange
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1/4 cup lemon juice
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1 teaspoon orange blossom water
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/4 cup butter
Apricot butter:
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0.5 kilograms apricot puree
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1/4 cup honey
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1/4 cup brown sugar
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1/4 cup white sugar
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3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1.5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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1/3 cup butter
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
Directions
Dough:
- Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until light and fluffy in a mixer using the paddle attachment on medium high speed. Add salt and vanilla and continue mixing another minute or two. In a separate bowl, whisk baking powder and flour together. Move mixer speed to lowest setting and add flour slowly, mixing until the dough just comes together. Take the dough out of the bowl and gently knead any unmixed flour into the dough. This prevents overmixing which will make your dough too tough. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
- Place a sheet of parchment on top of a cutting board or your baking surface. Very very lightly flour the parchment- it’s important not to add too much flour during the rolling process. Parchment will help prevent the dough sticking. Using the dough a quarter at a time, roll out to a 0.5 centimeter thickness. Use a round cutter about 10 to 12 centimeters in diameter to cut circles out. An offset spatula can help you lift them out if parts of the dough are a bit sticky. Brush your circle with the eggwash and place a tablespoon of the filling of your choice in the center. Pinch three evenly spaced points around the circle to make a triangle shape around your filling. When are your cookies are filled, chill them for another hour or freeze them for best results- baking the cold dough will help the cookies keep their shape.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350. Place the cookies on a parchment lined sheet, lightly brush the cookies with eggwash and sprinkle some sugar on top, Bake them for 10-15 minutes until golden and let them cool for five minutes before eating.
Poppyseed filling:
- Grind poppyseeds in a spice grinder, food processor or vitamix blender until powdery. A few blitzes should do it. Add to a sauce pan with the milk, sugar, honey, and salt. Heat on medium low, whisking often, until the mixture thickens. Add the zest, lemon juice and continue stirring another minute or two. Take off the heat and whisk in the vanilla, orange blossom and butter until the butter is melted. Pour into a heatsafe container and allow to cool before using, the filling will continue to thicken as it cools.
Apricot butter:
- Add apricot puree, honey, sugars, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a saucepan. Set cornstarch in a separate small bowl. Heat on medium low whisking often. When the mixture is just warm, add a splash to the bowl with cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch into a smooth paste. Return the saucepan to heat and cook for five minutes on medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken and reduce. Whisk in the cornstarch paste and continue to cook a few minutes more, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, vanilla and butter until the butter melts. Pour into a heat safe container and chill before using. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
