Poppyseed Hamantaschen Food

HAMANTASCHEN WITH POPPY SEED FILLING

Steps:

• 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. Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put milk, sugar and orange zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Grind poppy seeds to a fine powder in coffee grinder, taking care not to over-process to a paste. When milk mixture is warm, turn heat to low and add poppy seeds and raisins. Cook at a low simmer stirring frequently 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 let cool completely, or chill until needed, up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Unwrap one of the chilled dough disks and place on a piece of parchment paper that has been dusted lightly with flour. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper. Let stand at room temperature until malleable, about 5 minutes. Use a rolling pin to press and roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch- thick round between the sheets of parchment, flipping the dough occasionally. Use a plain biscuit or cookie cutter or glass to cut 3-inch circles, placing the circles on the prepared baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until firm while you repeat the rolling/cutting process with the second round of dough.
• Remove the first pan of dough rounds from the refrigerator. Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each, and press up the sides to form triangles, pinching the ends closed. If the dough is too firm, let stand a minute or two to soften; returning the baking sheet to the refrigerator if the dough becomes too soft. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
• Brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake until golden and dough is delicately firm all the way through, about 13-18 minutes, rotating the racks front to back and top to bottom after about 10 minutes.
• Place trays on wire racks for 10 minutes before transferring cookies on parchment to racks to cool completely.

LEMON POPPY SEED HAMANTASCHEN (PAREVE OR DAIRY) COOKIES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest (if using).
• In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the oil, egg, orange juice, and vanilla. Mix with a fork to lightly beat the egg.
• Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well with electric beaters or a large wooden spoon until the dough begins to pull together into a ball.
• Using clean hands, knead the dough briefly in the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed and no streaks of flour remain.
• Divide the dough in half. Gather it into two balls, flatten each into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough disks to between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2- or 3-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out circles. Gather up the dough scraps, re-roll, and continue cutting circles with the remaining dough.
• Carefully transfer the dough circles to the prepared baking sheets and place 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of lemon curd in the center of each dough circle.
• Fold up the edges to form a triangle shape, allowing some of the filling to show. Pinch the corners of the dough to seal well.
• Bake the hamantaschen in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the dough is firm and the bottoms begin to turn a light golden brown.
• Transfer the hamantaschen to a wire rack to cool.
• Enjoy!

POPPY SEED FILLING FOR HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Grind poppy seeds in food processor or spice grinder.
• Combine with the milk and honey.
• Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until thick.
• Stir in the lemon rind and raisins.
• Cool before filling the Hamantaschen dough.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND POPPY SEED HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add 9 tablespoons butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and the egg yolk and pulse, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons or so of ice water if needed to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium nonstick pan over medium-low. Add the onion, thyme, bay leaf and honey, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in the poppy seeds and the remaining 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and season to taste. Let cool.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, heat the oven to 375 degrees and cover 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out the dough onto a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round mold or glass, cut the dough into rounds. Top each round with a hefty pinch of cheese in the center, then a heaping teaspoon of the cooled onion mixture. Working with one round at a time, dip a pastry brush or your finger into the egg white and moisten the edges of the excess dough surrounding the filling. Fold up 3 sides of the round to form a triangle, partly covering the filling with the dough, and pinch the dough firmly at all 3 tips of the triangle. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheets and repeat to make about 36 hamantaschen.
• Bake until golden, rotating midway through baking, 15 to 20 minutes, then serve warm.