Spiced Apple Chestnut Hamantaschen Food

PATE-A-CHOUX BREAKFAST SLIDERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the butter, salt and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Add the flour and stir for about 1 minute. (The mixture will immediately form a sticky ball.)
• Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium-low until there is no longer steam. Lower the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time. The dough will be done once it clings to the paddle in "spokes" as it spins in the bowl.
• Fold in the manchego and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Dab the dough into 4 corners on a baking sheet and place parchment paper on top to stick it in place. Pipe 1 1/2-inch-wide rounds on the prepared baking sheet 2-inches apart, then sprinkle a little manchego on top of each. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until deep golden brown, an additional 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine the mayo and chipotle and set aside. Cut the Muenster to fit the sliders with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Divide the chorizo and form into 12 patties, then cook on a griddle or in a medium skillet in 2 batches over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another minute, then top each with a round of the Muenster and continue cooking until the cheese is melted.
• Cook the quail eggs in a buttered nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sunny-side up, 1 to 2 minutes.
• To assemble, split the gougeres. Top each of the bottoms with a chorizo patty, followed by an egg, followed by a pinch of micro greens. Smear a little chipotle aioli on the top halves and place on place on top of the sliders. Serve immediately.

HAMENTASCHEN

Steps:

• To make the Filling: Place the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until soft and the liquid is absorbed. Add water, if needed. Let cool.
• To make the Dough: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, egg, egg white, and orange zest. Add it to the processor and pulse to mix, being careful not to over mix. Divide into 2 disks and chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough on a floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out 2 1/2 to 3-inch disks. (You can re-roll the scrapes to make more disks.) Place a disk of dough down and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Pinch the disk in 3 places to form a triangular shape with the filling still showing in the center. They will look like 3 cornered hats. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Continue until all the disks are made.
• Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• For the dough: Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk just until combined. Switch to a wooden spoon or use your hands to gradually mix in the flour and salt until combined and the dough is uniform. Do not over-mix. The dough should be slightly tacky; if it's very sticky add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• For the caramel filling: Place the sugar in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat. The sugar will clump up at first and then melt into a brown liquid; lower the heat if it starts to burn. This will take about 10 minutes so be patient!
• Combine the butter, cream and salt in a separate small saucepan and place over medium heat just until the butter melts. Once the sugar is melted, slowly whisk the cream mixture into the sugar until uniform in color. Simmer for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.
• When you are ready to form the hamantaschen, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch-thick. If your dough cracks as you roll, let it warm up to room temperature before continuing to roll.
• Cut out circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter (the top of a wine glass works too!). Gather any scraps, roll them out and cut more circles. Beat the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon of water together in a small bowl. Brush each circle with some of the egg wash.
• Place a teaspoon of the caramel in the center of each circle. Do not over-fill; excess will leak out. If you are having a hard time scooping the caramel, let it come to room temperature. (You can scoop out all the teaspoons of caramel first, then place them in the centers of the hamantaschen.)
• Fold two sides of each circle together overlapping at the bottom, and then fold the top down to make a triangle. There should be a quarter-sized amount of the caramel showing. Place hamantaschen 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes; this will prevent them from spreading and opening during baking-do not skip this step.
• While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies until lightly golden on the bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the chocolate glaze: Place the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water and stir frequently until melted. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter is melted and glaze is shiny. If the butter doesn't melt completely, return the top of the double boiler to the heat and stir until smooth. Let the glaze cool until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not so long that it hardens.
• Dip one corner of each cooled hamantaschen into the chocolate and place them on a wire rack. Let sit at room temperature until the chocolate is firm; you can place the cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Decorate the cookies with edible gold foil if using. The cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.

ALL-THE-SEEDS HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• Dough
• Whisk baking powder, salt, and 1½ cups (188 g) flour in a medium bowl to combine. Set aside. Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and orange zest and beat, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, just until combined. Reduce speed to low and with motor running, gradually add dry ingredients. Beat until dough comes together and no streaks of dry flour remain.
• Divide dough in half and place each half on a piece of beeswax or plastic wrap. Pat into a 1"-thick disk. Wrap tightly and chill until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Filling
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ¼ cup poppy seeds, and ¼ cup sesame seeds in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat honey in a small saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula, until it bubbles and foams and turns dark amber (an instant read thermometer should register 300°F), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tahini and ¾ tsp. salt. Pour over seeds and stir to coat. Let cool slightly (you want the mixture to be as hot as possible since it hardens as it cools, but not so hot you could burn your hands). Working quickly, scoop out heaping teaspoonfuls of filling and roll into 24 balls.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant ¼" thick. Punch out cookies with cutter. Transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. (You should ideally have 12 cookies per baking sheet.) They won't spread, so don't worry about getting them close. Gather up and reroll any scraps.
• Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush rounds with egg wash and place a ball of filling in the center. Fold sides of dough up to make a triangle, pinching corners to seal. Brush sides of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with more sesame seeds and poppy seeds.
• Bake hamantaschen, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until crust is golden brown and filling is puffed, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.
• Do ahead: Cookies can be baked 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.