Hamentashen

Traditionally, the hamentashen is a filled cookie eaten on Purim, a holiday celebrating the Persian Jews victory over their enemy, Hamen.  The evil Hamen wore a tri-cornered hat which explains the cookie's shape.
Typically, hamentashen are filled with prune, apricot, and/or poppy (mun) filling. However, today I added a special pumpkin pie filling making this hamentashen a new Thanksgiving favorite.

Ingredients...

• 3 Cups Flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup finely ground almonds
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Best if you use parchment instead of greasing a cookie sheet pan.

Here's how you do it...

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. In large bowl, Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the ground almonds, mix and set aside.
4. Using your mixer in another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until  light and smooth.
5. Add the eggs and extracts until blended thoroughly.
6. Gradually, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and blend until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl. 
7. Knead on floured surface until no longer sticky.
8. Divide the dough in 4 parts.
9. Roll each part (one at a time) on a floured surface to 1/16" thin.
10. Using a cup or 4" cookie cutter, cut rounds.
11. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on each round.
12. Bring up the edges, pressing corners together, to form the triangular shape leaving a space in the center where the filling shows through.
13. Arrange hamentashen on parchment lined cookie sheet.
14. Brush each pastry with egg wash (recipe to follow).
15. Place cookie sheet in preheated 375F oven for 15-18 min until lighly golden brown,

Allow to cool on rack before eating (though it will be difficult to wait) because the filling will be HOT.
Egg Wash (to brush over each pastry before baking for glaze):
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cream, or non dairy creamer, or milk.

Fillings...
Pumpkin:  Prepared pumpkin pie custard .
Apricot/Poppy/Prune: You can prepare your own or use canned filling to save some time. These filling recipes will post shortly.