YEASTED HAMANTASCHEN

Today, hamantaschen are made primarily with a sim oil- or butter-based cookie dough. But the simple was confection traditionally made with an dough that yielded a puffed and tender enriched ye the sweet Yeasted pastry filling. are encircling than their antaschen different cookie counterparts, and entirely worth trying. definitely

*** In a large bowl, stir together the 1 Makes: about 30 pastries yeast, teaspoon of and the warm water. Let the time: 35 minutes, plus rising9 sugar, sit until Preparation frothy, 510 minutes. bubbling and Cooking time: 20 minutes teaspoons) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk 1 packet (% oz/7g) active dry yeast (2% together 2% cup flour, the % % cup (150 g) plus 1 teaspoon sugar (350 g) remaining cup (150 g) sugar, and sait. h cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) warm water (110°F/43°C) Whisk the oil, 2 of the and the 2%-3 cups (350-420 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, eggs, vanilla into the yeast plus more for rollin9 mixture until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until a moist forms. h teaspoon kosher salt dough Turn the dough out onto a cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) vegetable oil or melted butter, floured surface and knead lightly well, adding up to % cup plus more for greasing the bowl (70 g) additional flour, as necessary, until a supple, elastic 3 eggs dough forms, about 10 minutes. You might not use all of 1 teaspoon vanilla extract the flour. (The kneading can also be done in a stand mixer Prune Lekvar (page 408), Apricot Lekvar (page 408), fitted with a dough hook, 5-7 minutes.) Grease a large Filling (page 396), Honey-Walnut Filling bowl with about 1 teaspoon oil, add the dough, and turn (page 400) or other thick jam, for filling to coat. Cover with a tea towel and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1% hours.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove half of the dough from the bowl (keep the other half covered). On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a -inch (6 mm) thiekness. Using a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round biscuit cutter or glass, cut out as many rounds as possible and carefully the transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut out additional rounds. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of the desired filling into the center on an angle, of each dough round. Fold the left side over followed by the right side. Fold the bottom ffap up, to make a pocket one end under the side flap tucking in the center). (a little of the filling should still be visible Pinch the corners firmly to seal. Repeat with the the filled remaining dough and filling. Loosely cover for 30 minutes. cookies with a tea towel and let rest

(180°c/Gas Mark 4) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F

small bowl. Lightly brush the remaining egg in a Whisk of the egg tops of each cookie with a little wash the cookies until puffed will not use all of it). Bake the you Transfer the cookies and golden brown, 18-20 minutes. to wire racks to cool. MA' AMOUL

ancient These Levantine cookies encase rose nuts or dates perfumed (or in this case, both water- inside a tender, buttery ortbread dough. Intogether) words, they are addictively delicious. Muslim other communities typically serve ma'amoul at the feasts during Ramadan and on other fostieghtly Jews from blidays hailing Syria, EgYpt, Lebanon, and Eastern countries othe Middle serve them on Rosh , and Purim. moul are often shanah, pressed in elaborately carved wooden moldstthat imprint into patterns on the outside of the cookie. But ridged be simply shaped by hand. they can:

In a Make the dough: (or a cookies stand mixer using handheld about 2 dozen mixer a Makes: electric and large bowl), beat together the 45 mintues buter Preparation time: powdered (icing) sugar, salt, and vanilla at medium 20 minutes Cooking time: until light and fiufty. Beat in 2 speed cups (280 g) fiour in three additions, down the sides of scraping the bowi as For the dough: nonhydrogenated necessary, until a tender, comes lb/455 g) unsalted butter or pliable dough together, 4 sticks(1 If needed, beat in up to % cup (35 g) additional at room temperature flour, margarine, 1 at a time, until the desired (icing) sugar table-spoon consistency cup (90 g) powdered is reached. Set the dough aside. % teaspoon kosher salt 1% teaspoons vanila extract flour Make thefilling: In a food processor, pulse the dates, 2-2% cups (280-315 g) all-purpose (plain) walnuts, powdered (icing) sugar, rose water, and Forthe filling: until a thick paste forms. 1% cups (210 g) Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped Preheat the oven to 350°F (18o°C/Gas Mark 4). % cup (50 g) walnut halves Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 tablespoons powdered (icing) sugar 1% tablespoons rose water Pinch off a tablespoon of the dough and roll into a bal 1%teaspoons ground cinnamon Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of the ball, then gently pinch around the sides to make Vegetable oil, for greasing a small cup shape. Spoon a teaspoon of the date-walnut Powdered sugar, over the for dusting into the cup and close the dough thling llinggently reshaping it into a ballI. If the ball feels too thick And if the on any side, gently remove the excess dough. in the dough gets too soft to work with, place it refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up.

If using a ma'amoul mold, lightly grease the mo ie okie press the then lay a filled cookie inside. Gently coo Ol with the rest o into the mold then tap it out. Repeat the cookies.

baking sheet. the cookies on the prepared Lay shaped minutes. Transfer Bake until 15-20 -mesh lightly golden, a wire racks to cool. When fully cool, use fine-it to generously wit sieve to dust the tops of each cookies powdered sugar. SFRATTI

... stratti are a cookie with a curious sfratto means "eviction" history. The in ltalian, and word drical cookies are the lone meant to resemble the ylin landlords to physically push out Jewish stieks times of expulsion. Tuscan Jewish tenants du bakers found a to turn that sad legacy on its head, shat celebrates the Jewish creating a trest Sfratti are community's perseverance, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah Purim, but taste wonderful time and any of ysar. The dovch and filing can both a bit finicky. For best the cold and the rosuts, keen dough rolling surface well Moured.

Make the In a food Serves:6 dough: processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt, and butter Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus chilling pieces, scraping down the sides of the bowl as Cooking time: 30 minutes necessary, until the mixturs resembles coarse cornmeal. With the motor running For the dough: slowly pour in the wine, stopping to scrape down 2% cups (350 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, the sides of the bowl several times, untii thedough plus more for rolling comes together. If necessary, add a litte mare wine 1 cup (200 g) sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is % teaspoon kosher salt reached. Gather the dough and knead it a fow times on 1 stick (4 oz/115 g) cold unsalted butter or a work surface. Form into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic nonhydrogenated margarine, cut into small pieces wrap (cling film), and refrigerate until wetll chiiecd, % cup (75 mi/2% fl oz) dry white wine, about 2 hours. plus more as needed Make thefilling: In a medium saucepan, combine the a boil ov Forthe filling: walnuts, honey, sugar, and salt and bring to 2 cups (210 g) walnut halves, chopped high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and coo, srg % cup (t70 g) honey often, until the honey thickens and turns golden brown, % stir in h cup (50 g) sugar about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and teaspoon kosher salt and Let the 1 orange zest, ginger, pepper. mixture st teaspoon finely grated orange zest just cool enough to handle. h teaspoon ground ginger 4 a teaspoon freshly ground black Mart 5), Line pepper Preheat the oven to 375°F (*190C/Gas For baking: large baking sheet with parchment paper Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 Working wih teaspoon water the dough into 4 equal portions. Tvide1 piece at a time (keeping the others refrigerat rolins foured with a well-floured surtace working on a inch ( into a rectangle the dough out the scrasp pin,roll (discard thick. Trim dges along off the raggede mixture y-nut Spoon a thick line of the honey then tightyroll the e the sides of rectans Trim both long inside. off around the filling, tucking it with the ing is fush em of until the 2inch (5 dough . Mepeat the roll into the scraps). Cut the roll crossw prepared beking th and place on the sprinkling engths filling. with the remalnins dough and

with more flour, as needed. wit

cookies

Bak ot the itl and sides l ot Brush the tops useathrough unti bake: not To (you might a little of the wash Trensferthe cookies egg ahow front to back halhway the pan so rotating hot, ving about 20 verybefore sorvin golden brown, minute will be cool. The filing t to a wire rackt minutes leest 20 the cookies to cool forat SEED COOKIE RINGS

With roots in these pre-Inquisition Spain, mildly sweet crisp cookie rings-called biscochos de susam, ar sometimes biscochos-have just become a hallmar of cuisine. Eastern Sephardi Middle Jews bake a called kaak, which is simil cookie typically even less and often Mavored with The pwe . cookie's crunehy texture pairs perfectly with tee or coffee-and indsad are often at breakfast they enjoyed and for an afternon snack. Biecochos are also served on Rosh Mashgna (the ring shape symbolizes hopes for a full and round to to break the Yom year come), Kippur fast, and as of a larger sweets platter on Purim. part

Makes: about 40 cookies Preheat the oven to 350°F (°130C/Gas Mark 4). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes In a medium bowl, whisk together 24 cups (385 g ou. 2%-3 cups (385-420 g) all-purpose (plain) flour, the baking powder, and sat. plus more for rolling 2 teaspoons baking powder In a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer teaspoon kosher salt and a large bowl), beat 2 of the eggs, the oil, sugar, 3 eggs vanilla, and orange zest at medium-high spead until pale h cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) vegetable oil and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in two 1 cup (200g) sugar additions, beating to incorporate and scraping down the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract sides of the bowl as necessary, until a firm but pliabie 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest dough forms. If the dough is too wet or sticky to handie, Sesame seeds, for sprinkling add up to 4 cup (35 g) additional flour, 1 tablespocn at a time as needed, until the desired consistency is reached. (You may not need all of the additionai flour.)

Working on a lightly floured surtace, pinch off a wainut size piece of dough and roll it into a rope that is 6 inches (15 em) long and about inch (1.25 cm) thick. Repeat knite, with several more pieces of dough. Using a sharp score little notches about % inch (6 mm) apart alonn the notched edsg the length of each of the ropes. With facing out, form each rope into a ring, gentiy pressing baking the ends together to seal. Place on the prepered process sheets. Repeat the rolling, scoring, and shaping until all of the dough is used.

Brush In a small bow, beat the remaining egg. the rings use al of it) with a litte beaten egs (you may not and Bake, rotating sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. until the the sheets front to back halfway through, brown, 20-25 cookies are gently puffed and golden racks to cool. minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire cool. They will continue to firm up as they