Hamantashan (traditional Jewish cookies)

We have these every Christmas as a special treat (even thought they aren't a Hanakkah cookie!). They are good as a desert, but we also like them for breakfast on Christmas morning - they are MUCH tastier and can be made much healthier than poptarts or many pastries!

Hamantashan

Mix together to make dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup orange juice

Roll out dough with rolling pin on floured surface until very thin (1/4" thick). Cut circles of dough. Spread one teaspoon of one of the following fillings in the middle of each circle:

poppy seeds, chopped dates, jams, nuts, chopped apricots with honey, raisins, lekwar (prune concentrate) or various fruits (I personally have found that strawberry and apricot jellies work well and are most appealing for my kids)

Shape into triangles by folding up three sides of the circle around the filling and pinck sides together (if they won't stick use a little water to bind them together).

Arrange on greased cookie sheets 2" apart and bake at 350F for 20 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool on a rack and store in a closed container.

The background on this cookie is from the book of Esther in Jewish history. Remember the bad guy, Haman, who wanted to wipe out all of the Jewish people on a certain day? Well, he got defeated because of Esther's courage and genocide was avoided. In Jewish tradition, Haman wore a three cornered triangular hat. This cookie represents that hat.