Almost-Everything Hamantaschen Print Recipe

Ingredients:

For the dough:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
    • For the filling:
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • sesame & poppy seeds for sprinkling

Preparation:

  1. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl. In a stand mixer, beat sugar, oil, egg, orange juice, vanilla and almond extracts and salt on medium speed for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Gradually add the flour and slowly mix to incorporate, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Divide the dough in 2 pieces and wrap each piece in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Take 1 piece of dough from the fridge and place on a floured piece of parchment paper. Flour the top of the dough and place another piece of parchment over it. This dough is soft and sticky, so use a generous amount of flour and work quickly. If it starts getting too soft to handle, put it back in the fridge for a while.
  4. Roll the dough between the pieces of parchment until it is about 1/8" thick. Place the sheet of dough on a sheet tray and stick it in the freezer. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Freeze for 2-3 hours.
  5. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest with an electric or stand mixer for 5 minutes, until soft and light.
  6. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove one sheet of the dough from the freezer. Gently peel back the top layer of parchment, and using a 3" cookie cutter, cut as many circles as you can from the dough (it's fine to reroll and cut this dough). Place the circles on a sheet tray lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
  7. Place 1 teaspoon of the apricot jam in the center of each circle, followed by 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese. Lift two sides of the dough and pinch it together where they meet. Fold the remaining side up and pinch on each corner to form a three-cornered cookie.
  8. Brush the outsides of the cookies with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds. Bake 15-17 minutes until just the corners are golden brown.