Classic Hamantaschen Recipes

Steps:

• In large bowl or bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until blended. Add egg yolk, vanilla, almond extract and salt; beat well. Gradually add flour, beating until well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
• Dust work surface with powdered sugar. Working with half of the dough at a time (keep remaining half refrigerated), roll out dough with rolling pin. With 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam in center of each. Moisten edges of dough rounds with water; pinch each into 3-cornered shape. Place on cookie sheets.
• Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Cool completely on cooling racks. Dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Let butter and cream soften at room temperature. Cream them together until thoroughly blended; beat in sour cream.
• Stir in salt, sugar and the egg.
• Gradually beat in flour, adding just enough to make a dough that will stick together. Form a ball, wrap in waxed paper and chill overnight.
• Before rolling out dough, prepare filling by blending prune jam with remaining ingredients. Set aside.
• Divide dough in half; place one half in the refrigerator while you roll the first. Place a sheet of waxed paper on the counter top or pastry board and place the first half of the dough on it. Top with a second sheet of waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough between sheets of waxed paper, turning the dough over with the paper so it is rolled on both sides and lifting the sheets of paper between every two or three rollings. Dough should be about 1/8-inch thick.
• Roll the second half of the dough in the same way.
• Using a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles from the rolled out dough. Place a well-rounded teaspoon of prune filling in the center of each circle.
• Moisten the edges of each circle with a little cold water and shape triangles; be sure to pinch the three corner seams tightly closed.
• Arrange hamantaschen on cookie sheets and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before baking.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake hamantaschen for about 15 minutes or until bottoms and tops are golden brown.