NY Jewish Culture Examiner: Shoshana Cooper's hamantashen recipe

Yes, I'm biased, but my wife Shoshana bakes the tastiest hamantashen. To spead the joy ofPurim I am sharing her recipe.

The dough:

1/2 cup of butter or margerine
1 cup sugar (Use turbando sugar, or "sugar in the raw")
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
2 cups of WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR
2 tsps of baking powder
1 tsp of vanilla extract (not artificial vanilla flavoring)

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg. Sift dry ingredients.  Add alternately with milk.  Add vanilla.  Roll out, cut circles with a cup, add filling, fold & bake.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or less depending upon size.

Fillings:

Israeli date paste, Israeli chocolate spread, and/or poppy seed filling (all are available atPomogranate). Shoshana does not like to use most jams, because the have too much liquid and make a mess.  She does like Levkar (prune butter), and apricot butter which now are available on grocery store shelves near jams and jellies, at least in Brooklyn. 

This is a recipe for chocolate filling that she has used in the past:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoon milk or strong coffee
3 Tablespoon shortening, melted (she thinks that this should be reduced, based on previous experience)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup of raisins or chopped nuts (optional, but quite nice)

Combine all ingredients.

Enjoy, and Chag Purim Sameach to all!