Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the dough:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour, plus more as needed
For the egg wash:
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
Pinch sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water
For the Apricot filling:
3/4 cup water or freshly squeezed orange juice, plus more as needed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 generous cups (about 1 pound) dried unsweetened apricots
1/3 cup sugar, plus more as needed
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
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Directions: |
Directions:To make the dough:
Place the sugar, butter or shortening and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla, salt and flour, and stir to make a soft dough, adding a little flour if the dough is too sticky to handle. (The dough may also be made in a food processor. Place the flour in the work bowl. Add the butter or shortening and cream cheese in chunks along with the vanilla and salt. Process until the dough forms a ball. Remove from the processor bowl and sprinkle on a little flour to make handling the dough easier.)
Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
For the apricot filling:
Place the orange juice or water, lemon juice, apricots, sugar and raisins in a medium saucepan. Toss and stir the fruit over low heat for about 8 to 12 minutes to soften. Add water or orange juice if the mixture seems dry or if the liquid is evaporating more quickly than the fruit seems to be cooking down. Remove the saucepan from the stove and let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and add the walnuts (if using). Process to achieve a thick, pastelike puree, adding water or orange juice if the mixture requires thinning. Taste and add sugar (a tablespoon at a time) if required.
To assemble the hamantaschen:
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
While the oven is heating, make the egg wash: Combine the egg, egg yolk, sugar and water in a small bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
Roll out the dough on a well-floured board, being careful not to press too firmly; the dough will be a little fragile. Cut into 3-inch rounds and brush with egg wash. Scraps can be rerolled once.
Place a generous teaspoonful of filling in the center of each round. Fold over the edge of the circle in three sections to form a triangle and pinch the corners closed. There should be a lip of dough around the outside, but some filling should be left exposed in the center. Brush the exposed dough with egg wash again and, if desired, sprinkle with regular or coarse sugar. Transfer the triangles to the baking sheet.
Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. |
This recipe for Hamantashen with Cream Cheese Dough & Apricot Fillling is from