Hamantaschen

The traditional flavors are apricot, fig, prunes, strawberry

Preparation time 30 minutes. Cook Time 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 177 degrees C, 350 F

Prune Filling

2 cups pitted prunes
1 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan except for the brown sugar. Stir and bring to a boil for one minute.
Reduce heat to medium low so the mixture simmers slowly and constantly. Cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
Remove the lid from the pan. Let the prunes continue to simmer for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated/absorbed. Keep a close eye on the pan to make sure the prunes don't burn. When there are about 3 tbsp of liquid left in the pan, remove from heat.
Stir the brown sugar into the prune mixture till brown sugar melts and dissolves.
Mash the prune mixture with a potato masher till a smooth puree forms. Run a fork through the mixture to break up any pieces the potato masher missed. You can also use an immersion blender for a smoother puree, if you want to.
Let cool to room temperature before using. Store in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Refrigerating the filling to chill completely will make it easier to work with when filling hamantaschen.

Dough Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1-5 tsp water (if needed)

Method

Slice room temperature butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes till light and fluffy.
Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest to the bowl. Beat again till creamy and well mixed.
Sift flour and salt into the bowl.
Mix with the electric mixer on low speed till a crumbly dough forms.
Begin to knead dough with hands till a smooth dough ball forms. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour till it reaches the right texture.
Form the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours to overnight.
Roll dough between 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick and cut into circles with a cookie cutter or glass rim that is at least 3 inches wide.
Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle. Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.

Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps.
1. grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.
2 Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.
3.Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a "pinwheel" effect. This method if folding is not only pretty-- it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.
Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape.
Repeat this process for the remaining circles.
When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced.
Place them in the oven and let them bake at 180 C / 350 Fdegrees for 10-25 minutes, until the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden. Start checking them at 10 minutes
Allow to cool and Serve.