Fruit-Filled Cookies and Hamantaschen

Happy Monday! Purim is just around the corner, and the hamantaschen recipes are starting to come out again! This delightful sugar cookie is often filled with creamy poppyseeds, cherry pie cherries, or chocolatey goodness, and then pinched into a little triangle. They always remind me that spring is coming! But fruit-filled cookies aren't only a Jewish tradition. Let's take a look at yummy recipes that require a spread of jam! 

Hamantaschen:
Nutella, cherry, blueberry, and poppyseed

Start with the triangles...
Hamantaschen
Mimi Sheraton

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ pound real cream cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 ¾ cups flour, approximately
• 1 pound prune jam (lekvar)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅔ cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Let butter and cream soften at room temperature. Cream them together until thoroughly blended; beat in sour cream.
2. Stir in salt, sugar and the egg.
3. Gradually beat in flour, adding just enough to make a dough that will stick together. Form a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill overnight.
4. Before rolling out dough, prepare filling by blending prune jam with remaining ingredients. Set aside.
5. Divide dough in half; place one half in the refrigerator while you roll the first. Place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter top or pastry board and place the first half of the dough on it. Top with a second sheet of waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between sheets of waxed paper, turning the dough over with the paper so it is rolled on both sides and lifting the sheets of paper between every two or three rollings. Dough should be about 1/8-inch thick.
6. Roll the second half of the dough in the same way.
7. Using a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles from the rolled out dough. Place a well-rounded teaspoon of prune filling in the center of each circle.
8. Moisten the edges of each circle with a little cold water and shape triangles; be sure to pinch the three corner seams tightly closed.
9. Arrange hamantaschen on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before baking.
10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake hamantaschen for about 15 minutes or until bottoms and tops are golden brown.

A recipe from Poland...

Polish Apricot-Filled Cookies

Gourmet, December 2004

Ingredients

For pastry dough

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash

For apricot filling

• 1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped dried apricots (10 oz)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2/3 cup mild honey
• 1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• Special equipment: parchment paper
• Garnish: confectioners sugar

Directions

Make dough:

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl until combined.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with a paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld. Reduce mixer speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make filling while pastry chills:

1. Bring apricots, raisins, honey, marmalade, cinnamon and water to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until dried fruit is softened and mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool until warm, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Assemble and bake cookies:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining pieces chilled) between 2 (12-inch) sheets of well-floured wax paper with a rolling pin into a roughly 11-inch square. (If dough gets too soft, transfer dough in wax paper to a baking sheet and chill until firm.) Discard top sheet of wax paper and trim dough with a pastry wheel or sharp knife into a 10-inch square. Cut square into 4 equal strips, then cut crosswise in fourths again to form a total of 16 (2 1/2-inch) squares.
3. Working quickly, place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each square. Brush 2 opposite corners with egg wash, then bring corners together and pinch firmly to adhere. (If dough becomes too soft, freeze it on a baking sheet for a few minutes.)
4. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden, 17 to 20 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and filling on a lined cooled baking sheet.

Note: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days.

From Germany...

Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies (Spitzbuben)

Rischart Bakery via Saveur

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1⁄4 cup raspberry jam
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°. Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat. Add flour and salt; mix. 
2. Transfer dough to a floured surface, form into a disk, roll until 1⁄4" thick. Using a 2" fluted round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced 2" apart. Chill for 30 minutes. 
3. Using a 1 1⁄4" plain round cutter, cut out centers of half the cookies; discard centers. Bake cookies until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes; cool.
4. Dust cookie rings with confectioners' sugar. Place 1 tsp. jam in center of each whole cookie; spread to within 1⁄3″ of edge. Top each with a cookie ring.

Happy baking!