by Monita Buchwald

In Israel, they’re called oznei Haman, or Haman’s ears. The Yiddish word hamantaschen refers to Haman’s three-cornered hat. Whatever you call them, these cookies are easy to make and are fun to do with the kids. Feel free to fill them with chocolate chips, your favorite jams, even Nutella or poppy seeds.

Quick Tip: Once they are cool from the oven, these hamantaschen can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick) at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons orange zest
10 ounces of filling: raspberry, strawberry, or apricot jam; chocolate spread or Nutella; prune butter (Lekvar)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attached, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the orange zest. Sift the dry ingredients together and gradually add to the batter. Scrape down sides as you go. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for one hour.
3. On a floured surface roll out the dough to ¼” thickness. Using a 3 ½” round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1” apart. Spoon a teaspoon of whatever filling you choose into the center of the circle. With water, lightly wet the edges of the circle. Fold up the edges to form a triangle, firmly pinching to seal the edge and form a seam. If it’s not sealed tightly, it may open while baking. It’s okay to re-roll scraps. Chill the hamantaschen for 15 minutes before putting them into the oven.
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Rotate midway through the baking process.
Makes about 30