Hamantashchen

Photo: Liz

Ingredients

1 cup Shortening (not lard)

1 1/4 cups Sugar

6 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Lemon extract

1 teaspoon Almond extract

5 cups Flour

4 teaspoons Baking powder

1 pkt Pitted prunes

1 pkt Raisins

1 Lemon, juiced and rind

4 tablespoons Any kind of jelly

1 cup Chopped nuts

Preparation

Some recipes for Hamantashen, from various sources. For those of you who don't know, this is a traditional Jewish food (pastry) eaten during the festival of Purim. It is made in the shape of a triangle to remember the triangle shaped hat worn by the villian Hayman of the Queen Ester story.

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add the extracts and fold in the flour and baking powder mixture. Chill dough. Grind together prunes and raisins in food mill and mix with other filling ingredients. Roll out dough a small piece at a time. Cut out rounds with cookie cutter. Put a small amount of filling in the middle of each round and shape into 3 corners. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

I'm also going to suggest you check out the New Complete International pastry hamantaschen, Kichel Hamantaschen, wine and walnut filled hamantaschen (romanian style), Parev dough hamantaschen, soured cream hamantaschen, a delux cheese filling, a delux walnut filling.