Hamantaschen

To speed up the making of these cookies, use canned apricot or poppy seed filling.

Ingredients

Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• Prune, Apricot or Plum or Poppy Seed Filling

Prune Filling

• 1 (12 ounce) package pitted prunes
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Apricot or Plum Filling

• 1 1/2 cups apricot or plum jam
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or walnuts
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (about)

Poppy Seed Filling

• 1 cup poppy seed
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 egg white

Instructions

1. Cookies: Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in large bowl.
2. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Mix lemon peel, vanilla extract and eggs. Stir into flour mixture until dough forms a ball. (Use hands to mix all ingredients if necessary; add up to 1/4 cup additional flour if dough is too sticky to handle.)
4. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
5. Prepare desired filling.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Roll half of dough at a time 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface. Cut into 3-inch rounds.
8. Spoon 1 level teaspoon filling onto each round. Bring up 3 sides, using metal spatula to lift, to form triangle around filling. Pinch edges together firmly.
9. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light brown.
11. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
12. Prune Filling: Heat prunes and enough water to cover to boiling in 2-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes; drain well.
13. Mash prunes.
14. Stir in remaining ingredients.
15. Apricot or Plum Filling: Mix jam, almonds, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir in just enough bread crumbs until thickened.
16. Poppy Seed Filling: Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth.

Yield: 48 cookies (1 per serving)

Per Serving: 96 Calories; 5g Fat (41.8% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 8mg Cholesterol; 46mg Sodium

Exchanges: 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates