European Cookie Dough:

Combine flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Pulse briefly to blend. Add butter cubes through tube until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Mix vanilla with beaten egg. Slowly pour into food processor while motor is running. Dough will come together quickly in a large ball. If the crumbs are dry, you may need to add through the tube, 1 -3 T of ice cold water to bring dough together into a ball.

Take out of food processor and pat down into a thick oval shape. Knead lightly to blend. Enclose dough into a sheet of plastic wrap and push it together into a large thick, flat disc. Refrigerate until very cold. You can do this in your fridge but with the weather we’ve been having lately, I just set mine out on the deck. It chilled in about 2 1/2 hours. I then brought it in and divided it into two pieces. Let it warm up a bit and then start working it.  I rolled it out gently between two pieces of plastic wrap and cut out rounds with a 3″ glass. I then put a spoonful of jam or peanut butter or cream cheese in the middle of each round.

For folding directions see  Tori Avey’s instructions. After folding, chill again and then bake at 350 for about 15-25 minutes until they are golden on the edges and the bottom. It is hard to be more exact because this all depends on how chilled your dough is. If your dough is to warm, it will spread and your schmushed edges will not hold together. You will end up with a delicious mess!

 Directions for Cocoa Dough
Beat eggs, oil and vanilla together.

Mix baking powder, salt, flour and cocoa together in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil and vanilla mixture and stir well until you can press mixture together into  a giant ball.

Place ball in plastic wrap and let chill about 15 minutes. Start breaking off pieces of dough about the shape of golf balls. Roll or press out into about 3″ circles. Place your choice of filling in the middle. I found this dough harder to work with, so you may have to pinch and schmuss!

Place formed hamentashen on a parchment lined sheet and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Using the cocoa dough makes it hard to see if the edges are turning gold. These will get crisp upon cooling.

Directions for Peanut Butter Filling

Combine together with hands and knead the peanut butter well into the sugar. Freeze this mixture.

When ready to use, break this into pieces and form into balls. Place those in the center of a dough round and bake according to directions.

If you’d like you can drizzle with melted chocolate and caramel.

Directions for Cinnamon Bun Filling
Combine well and then freeze mixture. When this is frozen, break off big chunks and form into balls.  Place in the center of the pastry round. Bake according to directions. I drizzled these with a powdered sugar glaze and sprinkled with cinnamon.