These hamantaschen combine complimenting flavors of sweet and tart ruby chocolate with nutty almond marzipan. The filling stays moist and tender and together with the delicate Pâte Sablée (sweet shortcrust) pastry, these are true luxurious treats.
Ruby chocolate and marzipan hamantaschen
Course: Cakes and cookiesCuisine: Jewish, IsraeliDifficulty: Medium36
hamantaschen45
minutes12
minutes57
minutesThese hamantaschen combine complimenting flavors of sweet and tart ruby chocolate and nutty almond marzipan.
Like most Israeli style hamantaschen, these have Pâte Sablée (sweet shortcrust) pastry crust, which is very delicate and crumbly (American style hamantaschen use cookie dough type of crust.)
The pink and white pattern of the dough is explained with details and photos in the recipe, but to save time you can always simply use the regular dough. It will still be tasty!
Note: Ruby chocolate, which is made of natural pink color chocolate beans, is available at Whole Foods and other specialty supermarkets as well as online.
Note: Freeze dried strawberries or raspberries are available at specialty supermarkets (such as Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods) and online. You can also use plant based powdered food coloring instead.
INGREDIENTS
- For the dough
2½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
½ oz (scant ½ cup) freeze dried strawberries (or 2 teaspoons powdered food color, see note above)
2 drops pink food coloring gel (optional)
- For the filling
3 oz. ruby chocolate (see note above)
9 oz. almond paste or marzipan
2 large egg yolks
2 drops pink food coloring gel (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Start with the filling: Melt ruby chocolate in in microwave in short 20 seconds intervals, mixing every time. Pour into a medium bowl and use your hands to knead and mix with the rest of the filling ingredients. Set aside. If you’re not using the filling immediately, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.
- To make the dough, lightly flour a work surface. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse to create crumbs. Add egg and egg yolk and pulse just until the dough begins to clump together. Add 1 tablespoon of water if dough does not clump together. Turn the dough out onto the floured work surface, knead shortly, gather into a ball, then divide it into two. Set aside one half.
- Put half of the dough back in the food processor together with freeze dried strawberries and coloring gel and mix briefly just until combined. Set aside. If the dough (white or pink) seems too soft to roll and handle, put it in the fridge in a bowl for 15 minutes or until it feels firm enough.
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prepare 2 large baking sheet size parchment papers. Divide the white and pink dough each to 4 equal pieces (8 altogether). Roll each part to a thick, 4 inch long logs and arrange them next to each other (just barely touching each other) on a parchment paper (see photo below). Put the other parchment paper on top and use the rolling pin to flatten and incorporate the dough logs together. Roll the dough into a ⅛ inch thickness. Remove the top parchment paper.
- Use a 3 inch round cookie cutter in flour and cut out circles of dough.
Gently remove the leftover dough from between the circles and arrange it nicely on a parchment paper (see the photo) so you can use it again by rolling it the same way between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Mount filling in the center with a teaspoon. Lift and pinch the edges of each circle in three corners spaced evenly apart, to create a triangle. Arrange on a baking sheet, spacing hamantaschen an inch apart. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until pastries are barely golden on the edges. Cool completely on wire racks. If desired, dust with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
