Hamentashen

Last night my family and I celebrated Passover.

Latkes are not necessarily a traditional Passover food, but it is a staple for the holiday in my home.

But for some reason, yesterday I just did not feel like making them.

And man oh man did I regret.

My lack of latkes was met with great resistance.

But, after I served these tasty cookies all was forgiven.

I was so confident in these cookies that I took them to work to try and win over my new coworkers with goodies.

Not sure if they love me or not, but they loved these treats. The tin was empty by the end of the day.

You will need…

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time. Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. 

Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Hamentashen

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons rated orange zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup poppy seeds

½ cup milk

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup golden raisins

6 large blackberries

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Add in the orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract.

Then add in two of the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then with the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.

Divide the dough into three smaller disks and wrap them up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling.

Combine the poppy seeds, milk, honey and blackberries in a small saucepan.

Cook the filling over medium-low heat until thickened. Stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes

Remove the filling from the heat and add in the lemon zest and raisins.

Stir well to combine and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheating you oven to 350 degrees F.

When the filling has cooled, roll out the dough disks one at a time.

Using a 3 inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many round cookies as possible with each thing of dough.

Place the cookies onto a parchment line baking sheet.

When all the cookies have been cut, place the filling in a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip cut off) and squeeze about 2 teaspoons filling into the middle of each cookie.

Whisk together the last egg and 1 teaspoon water.

Brush the outside of each cookie and fold in the side to form a triangle. Pinch the dough to enclose the filling.

Bake the cookies until golden. About 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Zesty Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

So, I’ve been living at home with my parents for just short of a year now.

I moved home because my good friend and roommate Lish was getting married and I decided it was time to buckle down and save some money.

The plan was to move home at twenty-five so I would never have to move home again. 

I’d have my own home.

For the first six months of living at home, I pretty much sucked at saving.

Wait, that’s not right. I flat out SUCKED at saving.

I didn’t save at all.

My first excuse was our family trip to Greece. I needed a whole new wardrobe so that I could walk the streets of Volos like it was my own personal runway.

Whole new wardrobe is a stretch, but I did spend a pretty penny.

Then there was the holidays. Always a costly time of the year.

But come January first, it was time to buckle down.

And buckle down I did.

Even though I’m more on the spiritual side than the religious side, I gave up shopping for lent.

And it felt good. Oodles of money went into the savings account and I survived the forty days.

Well, a couple of weeks have gone by since Easter came to visit and my shopping freeze has ended. The fruits of my shopping labors have started showing up at the house and one thing has become clear.

I have a major shopping problem.

MAJOR.

It became clear as day tonight as the family recounted all the bags and boxes that have shown up just this week.

I’m writing this all down in an attempt to turn over a new leaf.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Right?

So from now on, I’m going to have to settle for food shopping.

And tomorrow I’ll probably go shopping for ingredients for this chicken salad.

It’s an amazingly fun and interesting version of an American classic and perfect for the upcoming summer season.

You will need…

4 large chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 large orange

½ cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

(2 cups arugula and 4 of your favorite rolls if you want to make a sandwich)

Start by putting the chicken in a large saucepan and filling the pan up with enough water to cover the chicken.

Peel strips of orange zest from half of the orange with a veggie peeler and add the zest and 1 teaspoon salt to the water.

Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat.

When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmw, uncovered until the chicken is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let it cool.

Zest the remaining orange peel with a small grater into a large bowl and then juice the orange into the same bowl.

Add in the mayo, yogurt, mustard, celery, pecans, green onions and poppy seeds.

Shred the chicken and add it to the mixture. I shred my chicken by using two forks to pull pieces of chicken apart.

Combine the mixture well and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Zesty Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

4 large chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 large orange

½ cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

(2 cups arugula and 4 of your favorite rolls if you want to make a sandwich)

Start by putting the chicken in a large saucepan and filling the pan up with enough water to cover the chicken.

Peel strips of orange zest from half of the orange with a veggie peeler and add the zest and 1 teaspoon salt to the water.

Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat.

When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmw, uncovered until the chicken is cooked through. About 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let it cool.

Zest the remaining orange peel with a small grater into a large bowl and then juice the orange into the same bowl.

Add in the mayo, yogurt, mustard, celery, pecans, green onions and poppy seeds.

Shred the chicken and add it to the mixture. I shred my chicken by using two forks to pull pieces of chicken apart.

Combine the mixture well and serve.