Lemon Bar Hamantaschen
If you like lemon bars and lemon meringue pie you are going to love these lemon bar flavored hamantaschen. Tart lemon filling, sweet sugar cookie dough topped with powdered sugar, YUM!
Servings: about 18 hamantashen
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
Lemon curd, lemon pie or lemon creme filling
Powdered sugar
Directions:
1 . Cream together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.
2. lowly add flour and baking powder. Mix together. The dough might be crumbly, use your hands to smooth it out and combine it. (if the dough is sticky add an additional 1/4 cup flour)
3. Roll out dough on floured surface (about 1/4 to 1/8 thick. Not too thick since then the circles are hard to shape and will open up. Not too thin since then it will rip when shaping or filling)
4. Cut out circles using a donut cutter, cookie cutter or the rim of a large glass cup or mason jar.
5. Fill center of circle with lemon filling (about 1 teaspoon)
6. Bake on 350′ for 10 to 12 minutes depending on how soft or crispy you want them. I like them super soft so I take them out at about 10 minutes.
7. Allow to cool off before topping with powdered sugar.
* Notes on shaping hamantashen: Place filling in center than slowly fold over one side. Then the next and finally bring the bottom on top. Gently pinch the corners.
Homemade Lemon Curd:
Ingredients:
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions:
1. Whisk ingredients – In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs until smooth.
2. Cook gently – Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler method). Stir constantly with a whisk or silicone spatula.
3. Add butter – Once the mixture starts to thicken (about 5-10 minutes), add butter pieces one at a time, stirring until melted and smooth.
4. Strain (optional) – If you want an extra smooth curd, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove zest and any cooked egg bits.
5. Cool & store – Pour into a jar, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. It will thicken as it cools. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.
