Miki Shemo shares his Poppy seed filled Hamantaschen recipe, with options for more fillings.
Ingredients for Poppy seed Hamantaschen
For the Dough
- 3 cups (420 grams) flour
- 7 oz (200 grams) butter room temperature
- 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 egg yolks the white is for the filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract high quality
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
For the Filling:
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- .8 oz (25 grams) butter softened
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ cup (150 grams) Sugar
- ½ cup walnuts finely ground
- 1 ½ cups (130 grams) ground poppy fresh
- ½ lemon rind, grated
- 1 egg white
For Garnish
- confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Dough:
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1. Mix all the dough ingredients in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes at medium speed until you get a uniform, smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for an hour.
Prepare the Filling:
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2. Heat milk with butter, honey and sugar in a small pot until the sugar melts and bring to the boil. Lower the flame, add nuts and mix for about a minute. Remove from the stove, add poppy seeds and lemon rind and mix. Add egg white and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Fill, Shape, and Bake:
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3. Heat oven to 355F degrees (180C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a ¼ inch (½ cm) thick sheet. Cut out 3 inches circles (8 cm), place a spoonful of filling in the center of each circle, close into a triangle with a small opening for the filling (so that the dough does not crack during baking) and tighten. Place on sheets with ¾ inch (2 cm) between.
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5. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven, cool well and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container outside the refrigerator for up to a week.
Variations:
Add a tablespoon of whole (not ground) poppy seeds to the dough. You get a lovely speckled dough, hinting at the filling inside.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough to diversify the taste.
Pistachio filling – process 3/4 cup of raw shelled pistachios (not roasted) with 90 grams (3/4 cup) of powdered sugar, 50 grams of soft butter, a teaspoon of rose water and a tablespoon of flour in a food processor to a smooth and even mixture.
Nut filling – heat 1½ cup (100 grams) sugar, 50 grams butter and a spoonful of honey in a small saucepan until the sugar melts. Bring to a boil, add 3 cups of finely ground walnuts and ¼ cup of cookie crumbs and cook for about 2 minutes while stirring until thickened. Cool to room temperature.
The recipe is courtesy of the “HaShulchan” website.