Monday, March 14, 2011

Hamentashen, my way

Hamentashen have always frustrated me. I have tried countless recipes, and I can't tell you how many ugly, leaky, fat hamentashen I've thrown in the garbage. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but I do think that pastries should look extremely appetizing, and dainty. I am not one to put out a plate of ugly hamentashen- but my hamantashen always end up really ugly.

Another thing, there are some foods that I truly believe you can purchase far better tasting than you can make yourself, and hamentashen definitely fall into that category. I am never gonna make hamentashen as flaky, and oozingly sweet as an old-school bakery will. (Sushi is also a category I would never attempt because I'm never gonna come close to Nobu).

After much thought and experimentation, I came up with a hamentashen that actually works. Now, I am by no means trying to replace the original, traditional hamentashen, I'm just making my life a little easier...

THE WONTON HAMENTASHEN!
I love working with wonton wrappers, because they are readily available, and easy to manage. These "hamentashen" are crispy and perfect served warm with a little scoop of something or other! A great dessert to serve around Purim time, or any time of the year. As for hamentashen filling, I suggest using your favorite preserves (I love sour cherry!) Or my ultimate favorite, Nutella with chopped toasted hazelnuts!
Here's how to do it:
1 package of prepared wonton wrappers- use 2 wontons (2 layers) for each hamentashen

use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut the wontons into round shape

place a teaspoon of your favorite filling in the center of each wonton round

use your finger tip to dab water along the edges of the wonton round

pinch the top edges together to make a point

pinch the corners together to form a triangle
use additional water on your fingertips for the edges to adhere to each other as you pinch

brush with eggwash 

sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

place on parchment-lined baking sheet
bake in 400-degree preheated oven for 8- 10 minutes until golden
(can be reheated later at 350 to serve warm)

sprinkle with confectioner's sugar & enjoy!!

2 comments:

  1. YUMMY! love it kim!

    ReplyDelete
  2. kim - these look awesome and easy to make... really creative style!

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