Sour Cherry Hamantaschen
A traditional triangular Jewish Purim pastry, filled with sour cherry and jam, with a crisp outer crust.
Ingredients
Sweet and sour dried cherries
1.5 cup (7.5 oz)
Sour cherry jam or preserves
2/3 cup
Ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp
All-purpose flour (white)
3 cups
Salt
1/2 tsp
Baking soda
Slightly less than 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter (cold, cut into chunks)
1/2 cup (1 stick)
Corn oil or other neutral vegetable oil
1/4 cup
Sugar
3/4 cup
Large egg (plus 1 extra egg white)
1
Lemon zest (grated)
2 tsp
Fresh lemon juice
1.5 tsp
Vanilla extract
1.5 tsp
Large egg yolk (lightly beaten and mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional, for brushing))
1
Instructions
1
Make the sour cherry filling
In a medium heavy-bottomed nonstick saucepan, combine the dried cherries and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat; remove from heat immediately. Let stand for 5 minutes to rehydrate the cherries. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Pulse until the cherries are coarsely chopped. Add the jam or preserves and cinnamon; pulse just until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate the filling until cold, about 1 hour. (The filling can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; bring back to room temperature and stir before using.)
2
Make the dough
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Pulse to blend. Scatter the butter and oil over the flour mixture; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, whole egg and egg white, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until fully combined. Drizzle the egg mixture over the flour mixture; pulse just until evenly combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not overmix.
3
Roll out the dough
Divide the dough into three portions. Place each portion between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll each out to 1/8 inch thick; check the underside of the dough and smooth out any wrinkles that form. Stack the rolled dough (still attached to the paper) on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes until cold and firm, or freeze for 25 minutes to speed up the chilling. Chill another baking sheet to use as a work surface, keeping the dough cool and easy to handle.
4
Prepare oven and cut rounds
Preheat the oven to 375°F (about 190°C). Grease or coat several baking sheets with nonstick spray. Work with one portion of dough at a time, keeping the rest chilled. Gently peel back one sheet of parchment, then pat it back into place. Flip the dough onto a chilled baking sheet, then remove and discard the second sheet. Use a 2.5- to 3-inch scalloped or round cutter to cut out cookies. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If desired, score one-third of the way around each round with a paring knife to mark guides for the corners. (If you have experience making hamantaschen, you can skip the guides and shape the corners as usual.) Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each round.
5
Fold and shape
Lift the edge of the round at one of the marks. Pinch very firmly together to form a corner. Using both hands, lift the dough at the remaining two marks and pinch each very firmly to form the second and third corners. If needed, add enough filling so it mounds slightly in the center of each cookie, but avoid overfilling, or the cookies may crack during baking. (If at any point the dough becomes too soft to handle, transfer it along with the parchment and baking sheet to the refrigerator or freezer until firm again.)
