HAMANTASHEN w/POPPY SEED FILLING

By BobD

Ingredients

• FOR THE DOUGH:
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature, in small pieces
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• Dash of salt
• 1 large egg, beaten, for the glaze
• FOR POPPY SEED FILLING:
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 1 cup poppy seeds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon brandy
• 1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Details

Servings 30
Adapted from nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put the confectioners’ sugar and the egg yolks in a food processor and blend. Add butter and lemon zest and process to blend. Gradually add the flour and the salt, pulsing until it forms a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put milk, sugar and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Grind poppy seeds in coffee grinder. When mixture is warm, turn heat to low and add poppy seeds and raisins. Cook until the seeds absorb the milk and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, brandy, orange liqueur and butter. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the vanilla extract, remove from the heat and cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 pastry sheets with parchment paper.

4. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut 3-inch circles. Put a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each, and press up the sides to form triangles. Brush the tops with beaten egg.

5. Bake until golden and dough is delicately firm all the way through, about 15 minutes. If trays are on different racks, switch them after about 10 minutes.

Yield: About 30 cookies.

Note: You can skip Step 2 and use the recipe for chocolate chip cream filling.

Chocolate Chip Pastry Cream:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips.

1. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder until smooth.

2. Pour the milk into a small saucepan with the vanilla bean. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and remove the vanilla bean. Scrape the inside of the bean and add to the pan.

3. While whisking vigorously, pour 1/3 of the milk into the yolk mixture, then pour back into the saucepan. Continue to whisk constantly while simmering over low heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens into a creamy pudding consistency.

4. Remove from heat, add the bittersweet chocolate and whisk until

the chocolate has melted and the cream is smooth. Pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placed directly on the cream. Refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Yield: About 2 cups of filling.