Denise says:
The pastry for the Hamansthen tend to completely cover the filling as the inner meaning for the legend was that G-D had a plan for their future even though they could not see it from the outside.
Hamantshen can be made with yeast dough, a sour creamed dough, a rich short crust or biscuit pastry.
I have chosen to use a rich short crust pastry.
Can be made in advance
Can be Parev
Makes: Approximately 30 hamantschen
Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 -20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Pastry285g (10 oz) plain flour
150g (5 oz) unsalted butter or margarine
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 egg
75g (3oz) caster sugar
For the Fruit Filling
75g (3 oz) sultanas
50g (2 oz) chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 eating apple – Peeled and grated
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
50g (2 oz) unsalted butter or margarine.
For the Glaze
1 egg white – lightly whisked
2 tablespoons – poppy seeds
2 tablespoons – Hundreds and thousands
Method
1)Pre-heat the oven to 400ºC/200ºF/ Gas mark 6.2)Make the pastry by mixing all the ingredients together in a food processor.
3)Wrap in cling film and flatten. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
4)Add the sultanas, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, sugar, and butter to the food processor and pulse gently to combine.
5)Squeeze out the excess water from the apple before stirring it in the nut mixture.
6)Lightly dust the surface with flour. Roll out the pastry so that it 0.3 cm (1/4 inch) thick.
7)Using a 7.5 cm ( 3inch) cutter make round templates.
8)Add a spoonful of filling into the centre.
9)Draw up the sides to form a pyramid, pinching the edges firmly together in the shape of a tricorn hat.
10)Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper.
11)Transfer the Hamantschen and glaze with egg white.
12)Sprinkle with poppy seeds and hundreds and thousands and bake for a 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown.
To serve the stylish way: Dust with icing sugar.