Pratzel's bakers make hamantaschen	Hamantaschen

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Hamantaschen

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 8, 2006

Yield: About 4 dozen

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Ingredients

• 5 eggs

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (see note)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flower

• Filling (see note and recipes)

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Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in baking powder and 5 cups flour. Knead until smooth, adding more flour if necessary to achieve a smooth and consistent texture.

Roll out dough thinly (about 1/4 of an inch thick) on a floured board or other flat surface. Using a 3- to 3 1/2-inch drinking glass or a biscuit cutter, cut out circles of dough. Place about 1 tablespoon filing in the center of each circle, being careful not to overstuff, as the filing can overflow when cooking.

Fold three sides of the circle approximately a third of the way into the center of the cookie and cover the filling so that the base of the pastry forms a triangle. Place hamantaschen on a greased baking sheet. Bake until pastries are slightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Note: Use from-scratch or store-bought fillings, such as Solo-brand pastry fillings; strawberry, apricot or cherry preserves; or apple or prune butter. If necessary, drain preserves or fruit butters in a strainer; the fillings should not be too liquid or they will run out while cooking. Adjust the sugar in the recipe as necessary according to the sweetness of the fillings – for store-bought preserves and pastry fillings, use 1 1/4 cups sugar; for less-sweet fillings such as the recipes below, add a tablespoon or so of sugar.

Pratzel's recipe was modified slightly, adding 1 egg and 1/4 cup vegetable oil to make the dough moister and easier to work. If making multiple batches, cover the dough with a moist towel to retain moisture. If it dries too much, wet hands before briefly rekneading.

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Apricot Filling

• 1 cup dried apricots

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Combine apricots, cinnamon stick and sugar in a pan; add just enough water to cover. Heat gently, then simmer until the apricots are tender and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon. With slotted spoon, transfer apricots to a food processor or blender; puree with a little of the cooking liquid until they are the consistency of thick jam.

Yield: 3/4 cup, enough for about 12 hamantaschen

Adapted from "The Jewish Heritage Cookbook," by Mariena Spieler

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Poppy Seed Filling

• About 1/2 cup poppy seeds (1 2.12-oz/60g bottle), coarsely ground

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

• 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar or more to taste

• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine poppy seeds, milk, raisins, sugar and lemon zest in a pan; simmer until the mixture has thickened and most of the milk has been absorbed, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

Yield: 3/4 cup, enough for about 12 hamantaschen

Adapted from "The Jewish Heritage Cookbook," by Mariena Spieler