Butter Hamentaschen

Myself, I grew up with the cookie kind and am partial to apricot, lekvar (prune or “dried plums” as they are now marketed) and mohn (poppyseed) in terms of the traditional fillings and in that order. I am open to innovation including, but not limited to, wild plum (the best), mango and coconut/chocolate.

This is my version of an old recipe that originally appeared in Women’s Day, when bubbeh was a bocher (i.e. so long ago that it can’t be remembered). If you roll the dough out, it will give a thinner, crispier cooky. If you make balls and smash them, you get the kind of hamentashen that my husband, he should live and be well, likes. Generally speaking, the less you can handle this dough, the better, as you won’t need to add as much flour to keep it from sticking. Yes, you could make this parve with parve margarine and soy milk or Rich’s non-dairy stuff, but it’s not worth it, tastewise. Also, I hate recipes that tell you to “sift x, y, and z together, blah blah, then make a well and beat from there.” Hey, it’s my kitchen, I’ve been baking for longer than your average bear, I’ll do it my way! In this particular recipe, method matters. Yes, it’s potchkeyey. Yes, you have to hunt down the sifter or improvise with a strainer. But it makes a difference in how quickly the dough comes together and how little you have to work it, which in turn gives a more tender result. Ultimately, you’ll do what you like. Such is life. Just don’t come kvetching to me about it!