Dried Strawberry Hamantashen Filling

By mitzzy

Dried strawberries are the dried sour cherries of the new milennieum. Once hard to find, I got a package at Costco and most recently, at a Middle Eastern food store nearby. This makes a sunrise colored filling, mellow with apricots and perked up with a ton of beautiful dried strawberries. I often add dried mango to this filling if I have some on hand.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup yellow raisins
• 2 cups, or a bit less, dried strawberries
• 1/2 cup chopped apricots, preferably Californian *
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, optional or
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Preparation

Step 1

Simmer everything together on low to soften fruit, about 5-10 minutes, adding water if required (water evaporates too fast) and taking care not to burn bottom of pot/fruit.

Remove from heat, cool and place in a food processor to process into a filling/puree. Refrigerate about an hour or so (or up until a week covered, or freezer, indefinitely).

Makes enough for 6-8 dozen hamantantashen.

*If you have apricot leather or paste (in sheets) you can use that. It is almost better than apricots.