Jewish Hamantaschen Cookies ~ Gluten & Allergy Free

By KeeleyMcGuireBlog

Purim is considered one of the most fun & joyous Jewish holidays. (It's often referred to as the "Jewish Mardi Gras"). It celebrates when the Jewish people were living in Persia and saved from a plot to destroy them. The story is recorded in the Book of Esther.
A common treat during this time are Hamantaschen (Hamantashen) cookies. The triangular fruit-filled cookies are suppose to represent Haman's hat.
Here is my version that is GLUTEN FREE & TOP 8 ALLERGY FREE. {Recipe & photos are property of Keeley McGuire, www.keeleymcguire.com}

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of gluten free flour + extra for rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of xantham gum (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoons of sugar
• 1 stick of butter or vegan non-dairy spread, cut up into 1/4” cubes
• 3 Tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
• 4 Tablespoons of ice cold water
• 1/2 cup filling of choice - jams, jellies, fillings (just make sure they're thick)
• Shallow dish containing a few teaspoons of cold water

Details

Servings 22
Adapted from keeleymcguire.com

Preparation

Step 1

Stir dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Using your fingers, work the butter, vanilla, and applesauce into the flour until it becomes a crumbled texture.
Add 4 Tablespoons of ice cold water and combine by hand until water is absorbed. Be careful not to over-mix the dough.
Form dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour or longer.
After refrigeration period, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Break off half your dough, wrap and return the other half to the fridge to stay chilled.
Begin rolling out the first half on a floured surface. Make sure to lightly add flour when needed to dough, to keep from sticking to your rolling pin.
Roll out the dough as thin as possible, without creating holes - this is crucial.
Cut circles into your dough using a 3-4" cookie cutter or a glass. Add a dollop of filling to the center of each circle.
Dip your finger in the shallow dish of water and run it along the entire edge of the circle. This will help the dough to stick together when baking.
Begin to fold your triangular shaped cookies. You can view a step-by-step photo here: http://www.keeleymcguire.com/2014/03/gluten-allergy-free-jewish-hamantaschen.html
Fold in one side and lightly wet the corner, then repeat with the next side and so forth. Lightly pinch the edges, but make sure that you wet them - pinching alone will not work.
Repeat the process of rolling out the dough, cutting, and filling, until complete.
Bake for approximately 22-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Yields 22-24 cookies.