Hamantaschen recipe

Grandma Evie’s Hamantaschen

These are based on the recipe of my maternal grandmother.

Dough ingredients:

·      4 C flour

·      ½ tsp salt

·      4 Tbsp sugar

·      2 ¼ tsp yeast

·      ¾ C orange juice

·      3 eggs

·      ½ lb butter, melted (2 sticks)

Filling

·      assorted jams (apricot, raspberry, etc)

Directions

·      combine all ingredients, in order listed, using a fork

·      knead in bowl to finish mixing

·      cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours

·      refrigerate 1 hour

·      roll out ½ of the dough at a time

·      cut 3” circles, and place on a buttered cookie sheet

·      reroll scraps, and cut more circles (you’ll get about 20 from half of the dough)

·      put half a teaspoon of jam in the middle of each cookie

·      fold into triangles

·      cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour

·      bake at 350 F for 30 minutes

Pancake recipe

Pancakes

Adapted from Joy of Cooking (1975)

Dry ingredients

·      1½ C flour (I use whole wheat, can be all-purpose)

·      1 tsp salt

·      1¾ tsp baking powder

Wet ingredients

·      3 Tbsp butter, melted

·      2 eggs

·      1¼ C whole milk

·      1/3 C maple syrup

·      1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1.     In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Dump out onto a plate.

2.     In the same bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. (Make sure the bowl is covered with plastic wrap, so the butter does not spatter.)

3.     Add the eggs to the butter, and mix thoroughly.

4.     Add the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix.

5.     Dump the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix gently, smooshing any lumps with a fork. Don’t overmix.

6.     Let the batter sit for a few minutes, to thicken.

7.     Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan, and swirl around.

8.     Use a ¼ C measure, scoop to fill it with batter, and pour out ½ of it at a time into the pan, to make 2 pancakes. Repeat until pan is filled, 5-6 medium-sized pancakes in a large pan.

9.     Let the pancakes cook until lots of bubbles come up through the top, and the edges are firm. Then flip them with a large spatula. (For flipping, it may help to tip the pan, or to use a fork in your off hand.)

10. Cook on the second side for a shorter time than on the first side. When steam starts to rise from the pancakes, they are done.

11. Repeat steps (7)-(10) until all batter is used. Meanwhile, serve the pancakes and let people eat them immediately. These require no syrup or butter. Fresh berries are a great accompaniment.