Recipe: Apple Hamantaschen from Breads Bakery

Hamantaschen cookies are traditional favorites during the Jewish holiday of Purim. Triangular in shape, they come with a variety of fillings, such as apple, poppy, plum or chocolate.

Bread Bakery, from New York City, shares with the viewers of “CBS Sunday Morning” the recipe for his popular Hamantaschen below. (You can find this and other recipes, such as chocolate babka and xalà, in the Breads Bakery website.)

Don’t miss correspondent Faith Salie’s report on the history of this delightful deal “Sunday Morning” March 13th!

Breads Bakery Apple Hamantaschen

About 45 minutes ago (freezing instructions included)

Ingredients:

For the Mass

185 grams (1 stick + 5 tablespoons) butter
40 grams (3 tablespoons) sugar
75 grams (1/2 cup) powdered sugar, sieved
Pinch of salt
1 or
340 grams (2 3/4 cup) flour for all use

For the apple filling

5-6 medium Granny Smith apples
150 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
45 grams (1/2 cup) of cake or breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg to wash eggs
Powdered sugar for dusting

Suggested team:

peeler
chef’s knife and cutting board
paella
a stand mixer equipped with a paddle accessory
plastic wrap
he ran
approx. 3 “round hexagon or cutter.
pastry or spoon
pastry brush or fingers
tray lined with parchment paper
sieve or sieve

Process:

Mix the dough

1. Measure all ingredients and set aside. [For best results, we recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients instead of measuring with cups & spoons.]
2. In an electric mixer equipped with a paddle accessory, burn butter, sugar and salt at medium speed for about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
3. Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed for 1 minute or until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg slowly and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes or until completely combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
5. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Don’t mix too much! If the dough is crumbled, you can knead it lightly by hand until it comes together. [Overmixing the flour will allow too much gluten to form in the dough, resulting in a tougher texture. In general for tender baked goods like cakes and cookies, only mix the flour until just combined, even finishing the mix by hand to make sure you don’t overdo it.]
6. Remove the dough of the bowl and form it into a square of approximately 6 “x 6”; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day (or put directly in the freezer and freeze for up to two weeks, thawing in the fridge overnight before shaping).

Make the filling

1. Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice in quarter-inch cubes.
2. Cook the filling: combine 3/4 of the apples, sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, grinding the apples with the back of a spoon while softening. Cook until the mixture has the texture of thick apple puree, adding more water as needed.
3. Add the remaining apple cubes and combine, cooking a few more minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add the cinnamon and wet cake. Allow to cool completely before transferring to a baking dish (if using).

Mount

1. Wash the eggs lightly beat an egg, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of water until the yolk breaks and the mixture is smooth. Aside.
2. Roll out the dough: on a lightly floured surface, roll the refrigerated dough 1/8 to 1/16 “thick, adding flour as needed to make sure it doesn’t stick to the table. If the dough breaks, you can stick it with leftovers and keep rolling., or cut the dough into smaller, more manageable portions to roll in. Brush the excess flour with a dry brush. [There’s a sweet spot where the dough temperature is warm enough to roll without cracking but cold enough to not stick to the table. Before you begin rolling cold dough straight from the fridge, temper it by hitting it firmly with a rolling pin many times on both sides. This helps make the dough more pliable, preventing cracking as you roll it out. (It’s also a stress reliever for the baker.)]
3. Cut the dough using a hexagon (or circle) cutter. Remove the excess dough, re-form a square (without kneading too much), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate again.
4. Lightly wash egg the entire upper surface of the hexagons.
5. Pipe the filling: if using a backpack, cut a 1/2 “opening into the tip of the bag or use a 1/2” round tip if you prefer. Make sure the apple filling can pass through the opening unobstructed. Pipe (or spoon) about 1 teaspoon of apple filling in the center of each piece, being careful not to overfill it.
6. Fold up each other corner (three in total) up and down the center to form a pyramid, pinching the remaining corners to secure the filling. (If you are using a circle cutter, imagine 3 equidistant “corners” and pull them toward the center).
7. Organize 2-inch-shaped cookies on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 until you have shaped the whole dough, rewind the pieces up to 3 times. [Want to bake your hamantaschen another day?  Consolidate them on your sheet pan (without allowing them to touch), wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze for up to one week. Allow them to defrost slightly for 15-20 minutes before baking.]

Bake well

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly before covering with powdered sugar.

Store your hamantaschen

Hamantaschen will always be best on the day they are cooked, but will keep well at room temperature for up to two days after cooking. Store cooled cookies in a sealed container or plastic wrap.

For more information:

• Breads Bakery, New York