Here’s a modern take on the favorite cookie. Turkish delight keeps its shape and color in the oven, and makes the perfect fun filling for hamantaschen.
Turkish delight hamantaschen
Course: Cakes and cookies, dessertsCuisine: Jewish, IsraeliDifficulty: MediumYields
30
hamantaschenPrep time
40
minutesBaking time
15
minutesTotal time
55
minutesPurim’s popular cookie gets a modern makeover with a Turkish delight filling.
Turkish delight is available at Middle Eastern and some Kosher supermarkets, as well as online. Try to find those that come in squares (and not in long longs,) which will make it easier to cut for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2¾ cups (400 grams, 14 oz.) all purpose flour
1 cup (115 grams, 4 oz.) 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
- For the filling
8 oz. rose flavor Turkish delight, sold in ¾ inch squares
DIRECTIONS
- For the filling, cut each square piece diagonally to create two triangles. Wash the powder off of the Turkish delight and dry well with paper towels.
- To make the dough, 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 a large bowl, knead shortly, gather into a ball, divide into twoand flatten to 2 disks. If the dough 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 the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Have a 2¾-inch cookie cutter at hand and 2 more large pieces of parchment paper.
- Put first half-portion of dough on the on a parchment paper, top with another paper and roll with a rolling pin to a rectangle (about ⅛” thin). Remove the top parchment paper. Use the cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Reroll the dough as needed.
- Put a piece of Turkish delight at the center of each circle. Lift and pinch the edges of each circle in 3 places spaced evenly apart, to create a triangle; the filling will be partially exposed in the center. Arrange on the baking sheet, spacing them an inch apart.
- Put baking sheets in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes or until the pastries are just turning light-golden on the edges.
- Transfer the pastries to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
