Happy Insides

Just this past weekend we celebrated the Jewish holiday of Purim.  For those that don't know what Purim is can read about it here.  Purim is a very fun holiday with lots of joyful celebrations, costumes, good food, and you are supposed to get a little drunk.  You heard us right.  Overindulging in wine is a good thing on Purim.  Of course you don't want to get totally wasted, but a decent buzz is A-okay.  As part of our celebration this year we made Hamentaschen.  Hamentaschen are little triangle cookies filled with various fruit preserves.  They are a favorite treat of Cassie's and if you are going to make 1 cookie recipe from this blog then we definitely recommend that this be the recipe you use!  Everyone who had them absolutely raved about them.  They were soft and moist and fruity.  They were perfect.

A quick note on this recipe...We use whole wheat pastry flour in place of all purpose flour a lot in this blog.  Usually can easily just switch it back to all purpose if you prefer with no real harm, but in this recipe it is important to stick with the whole wheat pastry flour or at the very least only sub half of the flour for all purpose flour.  The texture will be all wrong if you use all purpose flour for 100% of the recipe.  Also for this recipe we used both raspberry and blue berry preserves.  You can use any flavor you want. 

Hamentaschen
Adapted from Judaism 101
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies

2/3 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice
1 egg
1/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
your favorite preserves, pie filling or fruit butter

1) In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and the evaporated cane juice.  Add the egg and then the orange juice beating each until fully incorporated.

2) In a separate bowl whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Slowly add the flower mixture to the wet ingredients 1/2 c. at a time.  When all the flour is incorporated turn the dough out onto plastic wrap.  Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3) Remove the dough from the fridge.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  On a well floured surface roll the dough out at thin as you can get it.  Using a circle cutter cut circles approximately 3-4 inches in diameter.  Place the cut out circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  In the center of each circle add a small dollop of your filling (about 1/2-1 t. worth).  Fold the circle into a triangle by folding 1 edge over the filling.  Then fold the second edge over.  With the third edge you want to tuck the corner under the corner of the first edge (clear as mud?).  You want each of the three edges to have 1 corner on top and 1 corner underneath.  This will keep the dough from opening up and spilling out your filling while baking.

4)  Place baking sheet in the oven on the center rack and bake about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.   Cool completely and enjoy.