It’s spring! You know what that means?

Rhubarb.

And it’s Purim! You know what that means?

Hamantaschen cookies.

And I’m blogging! You know what that means?

You get both!

 

 

So, yep. Purim. I’m being Jo March for the part tonight and I’m making these for the Hamantaschen contest. 

I don’t think I’ll have too much of a chance in the costume contest (John and Peter are being the Blues Brothers and Daniel is the Dread Pirate Roberts, so I’m a little over my head.) But I think I’ve definitely got a chance with these Hamantaschen. 🙂

And I got to get up early and pick fresh rhubarb from the garden to make it with, so that was fun. 😛

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen (which is 100% awesomeness and you should totally go look at the site). Actually, I couldn’t find the recipe on the site… *scratches head* but it’s in the cookbook. So buy the cookbook too.

 

Rhubarb Hamantaschen (Smitten Kitchen)

Filling:

1 pound rhubarb stalks (enough to make 3 cups chunks)

2/3 cup sugar

 

Cookie:

½ cup finely ground almonds or almond meal

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

¾ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 large egg

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

 

Make filling:

1. Trim any rough ends from rhubarb. If stalk is on the thick side, cut in half lengthwise. Cut rhubarb in ½-inch segments; you should have about 3 cups.
2. Place them in a medium saucepan with sugar, stir to combine, turn heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. No need to stir at this stage
3. Increase the heat to medium, remove cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes, until rhubarb his broken down and mixture is thick enough so that briefly running a spoon across the bottom of the pot leaves a clear line.
4. Pour compote out onto a large plate to cool.

(writefury note: I was doing a double batch, so there was no way I could find a plate big enough. I cooled it in the pot.)

 

To make dough:

1. Mix ground almonds, flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, work butter into flour until it resembles cornmeal.
3. Add eggs and extract, and combine dough with a wooden spoon.
4. Turn dough out onto counter and knead until mixture is uniform. Divide into quarters.

(writefury note: My butter wasn’t all that cold and had a bit of a hard time coming together. Mom sprinkled a little apple juice in and it was fine.)

 

Shape the cookies:

1. Place one-quarter of the dough on a well-floured counter and flour the top of it generously as well.
2. Roll the dough to an 1/8 inch thickness and cut out circles with a 2½-to-3 inch round cutter or drinking glass,
3. Using a measuring spoon, dollop 1 teaspoon of the cooled rhubarb, filling the center of each circle. Fold up the edges in three places to form a triangular cookie and gently pinch the seams together to form corners.
4. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place entire tray in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking. Repeat with remaining dough.

 

Bake the cookies:

1. While the cookies are freezing, preheat the oven to 375*F.
2. Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes, until golden at the edges. Transfer to racks to cool.

They always fall apart.

But I don’t care. Hey, if it turns anyone off, more for us, right? 

I’m in torture not being able to snitch from them as is… 😛

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Purim update! (Teaser: the Purim play I wrote and is being performed tonight! And costume pics for sibs. 🙂 )

What’s your favorite Hamantaschen filling? (or favorite thing to do with rhubarb?)

Please comment!

~writefury