1-2teaspoonscardamom or Jamie Geller Hawaij for Coffee
Pinchof salt
½cupwater
1/8cupsugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1tablespoonfresh gingerpeeled and minced
1lbfirm but ripe pearspeeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch dice
¾cupapricot jam
½cupchopped walnuts
8 -ozsoft goat cheeseoptional
Instructions
Prepare the pastry:
1 In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
2 Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3 Divide the dough in half and chill in plastic wrap for ½ hour.
Prepare the filling:
1 Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
2 Add the lemon juice, ginger and pears and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until pears are tender. Set aside to cool.
To Assemble and bake:
1 On a generously floured surface, preferably on baking paper, roll out the dough to ¼” thickness. Roll once, then pick up the flattened dough and turn it 90 degrees. Sprinkle with more flour if necessary and roll it out again. Repeat until dough is of sufficient thickness (This procedure helps prevent the dough from sticking). Use a round cookie cutter or glass with 2-3” diameter to cut out circles of dough.
2 Smear a very thin layer of apricot preserves in the center of each circle.
3 Sprinkle ½ teaspoon walnuts and a small piece of crumbled goat cheese.
4 Top with 1 teaspoon of pear jam.
5 Lift up the edges of the circle to form a triangle. Pinch the corners securely so that they don’t open in the oven.
6 Line a cookie sheet with baking paper and place the assembled hamantaschen on the cookie sheet. Chill the hamantaschen in the freezer for
about half an hour.
7 Repeat with second half of dough.
8 Bake the hamantaschen in the oven at 375° F for 20-24 minutes or until golden. Cool on rack.