There are many recipes for gluten-free hamantaschen on the internet, but none I have found create a cookie that has the smooth mouth feel of a gluten-rich hamantaschen without the sandiness or graininess found in so many gluten-free cookie recipes. After much experimentation, I have finally come very close to matching the hamantaschen of my youth (that is, of last year, when I didn’t have to make gluten-free hamantaschen). These cookies actually taste just a bit better after a day in an air-tight container.
Use your own favorite filling. I trend toward strawberry jam, blueberry preserves, chocolate peanut butter, and, this year, IKEA lingonberry jam.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose America’s Test Kitchen gluten-free baking flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if not already in baking flour)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cups butter or margarine, melted and cooled
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift and then whisk together flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix until smooth melted margarine, egg, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the powdered ingredients and mix several minutes with an electric mixer until evenly blended. Gather dough together in a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut into circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place ¾ teaspoon of desired filling in the center of the circle. Shape into triangles by folding three edges to the center and pressing together.
- Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheet for 12 to 14 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool on a rack.
Wolfsong Diner 