I am making hamantaschen, which is a sugar type cookie dough filled with preserves, etc. I am using the same recipes I always use, but I keep having "blowouts". I have never had this happen before in years of making hamantaschen.

The cookie is made by cutting out a circle, putting a dollop of filling in and folding up the edges to form a triangle. The filling is bursting through one of the triangle sides at the bottom of the cookie. The dough isn't cracked and doesn't seem weak when I finish folding them up, so I don't know why this is happening.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Kathi

I just made dozens of hamantaschen in December. I had a few blowouts on ones I made & baked right away, but zero blowouts on ones I chilled for about 4 hours before baking. I also used egg-wash as opposed to cold water to bind them.

Might help you?

You chilled them for 4 hours!! Wow! I normally chill for 15 minutes, but I guess I could try longer. I've just never had this happen before.

Just out of curiosity...why were you making hamantaschen in December?

Thanks,
Kathi

We were making boxes of international cookies for December sales.

We had an assortment of 10 different cookies/countries represented in one box for the holidays....Mandelbrot, Zimtsterne, Kipfl, Speculaasjes, Pfeffernüsse, Christmas Jewels, Spritzgebäck, Chinese Almond Cookies,
Linzer & Hamantaschen

Speaking of hamantaschen, i've been looking for a good recipe for years.....kind of like the commercial ones that have a nice soft cookie to bite into? Every single recipe i've tried (and there've been quite a few) i got more of a rolled cookie texture that has a bite to it. This is the case with recipes that called for either margarine, or shortening, or both. Does anyone wish to share their tricks or recipes?

Sorry ladies. I have been away all day and just now coming back to the board and baking.

antonia, that sounds like it was a fun project. I've never tried some of those cookies.

luv2bake6, here is my recipe for regular hamantaschen. I've never had a store bought one that was soft and good tasting. These are nice. Bake on top rack and watch the cookies at the end. If you take them out when LIGHTLY golden and store in an airtight container as soon as they are cool, they will stay soft.

Hamantaschen

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup oil
17.5 oz all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 Tablespoons orange juice
zest of 1 orange

In stand mixer, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually. Add oil and beat well. Combine flour, baking soda and zest. Add to egg mixture, alternating with the orange juice. Mix well. Divide dough and wrap in saran wrap. Chill for several hours.

Roll out doll to 1/8 and cut into circles. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling and pinch edges together. Do not overfill!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool on rack.

I hope these work for you! We love them at our house!

Kathi

Thank you so much Kathi, it is very generous of you to share your recipe. I will try it out as soon as i can this week.

No problem. It's not my original recipe. I found it on the web and tweaked it.

Have fun,
Kathi

what kind of jelly do you like to use? I hate the oven proof ones....too sweet and commercial tasting. My kids like ones with chocolate chips.

I hate the ovenproof fillings they sell, too.

I like to play with fillings. Some of this year's fillings are:

Black Cherry Preserves
Apple Butter
Raspberry Jam
Pecan Pie filling
Chocolate (like a brownie filling)

Kathi

ooooh, the brownie filling sounds awesome! Can any recipe be used or is there a specific recipe that is thick enough to stay in the dough?
I find that the commercial brands of jam (smuckers, etc) are very runny and virtually disintegrate in the hamantaschen.

luv2bake,

I try to use All Fruit or a thick preserve type product. Raspberry is the only exception I make because my family LOVES raspberry, but hates the seeds in the preserves. All Fruit seedless raspberry preserves are wonderful, but no longer kosher, so I have had to substitute. The jam ones have held up well, and aren't actually part of the blowouts I been having. Go figure.

As for the chocolate filling, any brownie recipe with minimal flour will work. Look for one that makes a fudgy brownie, not a cakey brownie.

Well, I am off to try some hamantashen that have been chilling!

Good luck,
Kathi

yum - hamantaschen! I am so excited to make them this weekend!


I've never chilled mine before baking... interesting! I'll have to see what difference that make with my recipe.

My recipe is really similar to Kathi's but instead of using juice, I use a whole orange (pulse it up in a food processor (without the rind, of course) and then make the dough in the food processor too. This dough is nice and soft, and tastes more like a sugar cookie than those dry flaky hamantaschen that I remember eating when I was a kid.

I've never filled with chocolate... Kathi - what do you use for that filling?

Hi bonniebakes,

I just use a fudgy brownie recipe that I like. Pick your favorite!

Have fun,
Kathi

yum - thanks!

MMMMMMMMM, my mouth is watering. The only time i'll have to bake for Purim will be Thursday so i have to wait to experiment............or i could stay up real late when everyone's gone off to bed tonight..........hmmmmmmmmm

Kathi, the recipe i usually make for brownies has 2 cups of flour to 6 eggs and 2 cups of oil (i bake it in an 11X17 pan). Would that do or would it be too liquidy?
How is your baking coming along?

luv2bake6, what I've found is that if the recipe makes a fudgy brownie then it will work, although I wouldn't make the whole recipe (it sounds like it makes a lot) unless you plan to use the leftovers for brownies, too!

As for me, my baking is going well. I HOPE to finish today. I have about 6 dozen more to make, then finish dipping 2 dozen homemade moon pies, and then put my baskets together. In the meantime my DH just emailed me that we need to do our grocery shopping for the weekend tonight since they are predicting up to 14 inches of snow here between tomorrow and Friday. Okay, I'm feeling tired again! I think I need some more caffeine! Where'd that coke go?

antonia, thank you for the chilling suggestion. I moved it to 30 minutes and lowered the oven temperature and I have only had one or two more blowouts, and they were rolled a little too thin. Once again, you've offered a solution to my problem!

Kathi

So glad to hear you're having success with your hamantaschen. I've not had a chance to start working on my own baskets yet because i've been busy putting together orders. I wish i had another week.............
I can't wait to try out your recipe kathi, and to try the brownie filling.