Combine and set aside
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
In mixer, blend
- 1 cup unsalted margarine
When softened, add
- ¾ cup sugar
When fully blended, add
- ¾ tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 2 TBL water
Depending on the humidity, size of the egg, etc., you may have to adjust the flour by ¼ cup or water by 1TBL to get the dough to hold together or not be sticky. Refrigerate dough overnight before using.
Working with about ¼ of the dough at a time, roll to desired thickness (about ⅛ ” inch), cut into 3″ circles, top with 1 tsp filling (see Poppy Seed Filling or Prune Filling or buy commercial fillings), moisten outer ring of dough and form into triangles. Transfer to greased cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 325 F convection; they should turn a golden color from the egg wash, but sometimes it doesn’t happen.
Depending on how thick you roll the dough and how large you cut the rounds, the yield will vary. This made about 5 dozen hamentaschen. If you go for thicker cookies (3/16 “), you’ll get about 3 dozen hamentaschen.
Because of the leavening, the cookies have a tendency to burst apart at the corners if they are not securely held together.
See Hamentaschen Honey Dough for an alternate recipe.