Recipe: Hamantaschen

A filling treat with three kinds of hamantaschen

Choose one or all of the three different fillings I have invented for these quick and easy hamantaschen. Each recipe is enough for 25-30.

Basic hamantaschen

Ingredients
● 450g ready-rolled puff pastry
● 1 egg yolk mixed with a dash of water
● 1 quantity of filling

Method
● Preheat your oven to 180˚C and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.
● Cut the dough into an even number of 6cm triangles. Place half of them on the baking sheets and prick with a fork. Bake for around eight minutes until slightly crisp.
● Remove from the oven and spoon a teaspoonful of filling on each. Don't overfill.
● Cover with an uncooked triangle. Brush the top with a bit of egg yolk to make them shiny if you like.
● Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden.
● With a sharp knife, carefully dig a small hole in the top of each hamantaschen and spoon in a little more filling.

Salted caramle and chocolate

Ingredients
● 300g caster sugar
● 25ml single cream
● ½ tsp sea salt
● 20g salted butter
● 200g milk chocolate

Method
● Put the sugar in a large pan and add a splash of water and the butter.
● Put on a low heat. When the butter has melted, turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until it is a golden caramel colour.
● Carefully add the cream, then, still stirring, cook until the consistency of honey. Add a half teaspoon of salt and stir again. Cool then refrigerate to harden a little before using.
● Melt the chocolate gently in a double boiler. Spoon caramel and drizzle the chocolate between the layers and on top of each hamantaschen.

Spicy plum compote

Ingredients
● 225g mixed dried fruits
● 200g red plums
● 1 vanilla pod

Method
● Put all the fruit in a pan with the vanilla pod cut in the middle and cover with water.
● Boil and then simmer for 30-50 minutes until all the fruit is soft. This keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Creme patissiere

Ingedients
● 250ml milk
● 3 egg yolks
● 75g caster sugar
● 25g plain flour
● ½ vanilla pod

Method
● Slit the vanilla pod and put in a pan with the milk. Bring to the boil and immediately turn off the heat.
● Whisk the sugar and yolks in a large bowl until they turn white. Add the flour and mix. Have ready a clean bowl with a sieve over it.
● Pour the boiled milk over the egss and sugar and stir. Pour everything back in the pan and cook over a medium heat and whisking all the time. Make sure that the custard doesn't catch on the base or edges of the pan.
● When the custard is thick and as soon as it boils, pour it into the clean bowl.
● Put cling wrap directly on the surface to stop it getting a skin as it cools.