Ginger Apricot Cardamom Hamantaschen With Crystallized Ginger Curls
Soft, chewy, spicy and bold Purim cookies
Ingredients
Cardamom Hamantaschen Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp ground cardamom
- 2 cups flour
Ginger Apricot Filling
- 1 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 cup sugar
Crystallized Ginger Curls
- 1/2 cup peeled, sliced ginger rounds
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- First make the dough. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add milk, egg, vanilla, cardamom and salt. Mix.
- Gradually beat in the flour.
- Separate into thirds, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. The dough should be stiff and may need longer than an hour.
- To make the apricot filling, put the dried apricots, cinnamon sticks, and sugar in a pan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the apricots. Puree the apricots in a food processor or blender with a little of the cooking liquid until they form a consistency like thick chunky jam. Mix in the ground ginger. Set aside.
- To make the crystallized ginger curls, mix water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. After sugar has dissolved, add the ginger rounds. Boil for 45 minutes. Drain the ginger. Lay flat on parchment paper. They will be sticky but try to separate them. Let dry for 30 minutes then sprinkle with sugar. Dry completely then chop finely. You can use the ginger syrup for waffles, ice cream or in your tea!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a ΒΌ inch thickness, then use the top of a glass to cut into circles.
- Wait until the filling has cooled a bit, then place 2 tsp of filling in the center of each circle, then pinch the pastry together to form three corners, leaving a little of the filling showing in the middle of the cookie.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-17 minutes, until lightly golden. The baking length will really depend on the thickness of your dough so keep checking! You will want to make sure the bottoms of the cookies are cooked but you want them soft and chewy.
- Allow to cool then place a few crystallized ginger curls on top of the ginger apricot filling center.
Notes
Adjust spices to suit your taste buds!