Hamantaschen with Onion Filling

Makes 24 medium cookies with 3-inch cookie cutter


For sprinkling
½ cup walnuts, pieces
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
A couple of dashes of salt

Set a medium skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the walnuts, spreading them out into an even layer. After 1 minute, use a spatula to stir them every 30 seconds or so until they’re fragrant and a deeper shade of brown, 6 to 7 minutes. If the walnuts brown too quickly, pull the skillet off the heat or reduce the heat.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Add walnuts to a bowl in food processor and process until small bits. Remove from the bowl to a medium glass container.

Add sesame seeds and salt. Mix well.

Onion filling (Idea comes from Plant Kitchen)
Makes about 1 cup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium-to-large white onions, sliced into thick rings
1 large red onion, sliced into thick rings
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons French Dijon Mustard
3 teaspoons sugar

Peel the onions and cut them into thick, round slices. Warm a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat with oil.

When the oil is warm, add the onion, stir, and cook for about 2-3 minutes on all sides until the onions sizzle and start to change color. Add garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, sugar, and mustard. Stir to combine.

Cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the onions for 5 minutes, stirring often. Cook until the onions are soft and tender. Remove the lid and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates from the pan.

Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and set aside for about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using an immersion mixer, process until a smooth paste. Check for spices, and add if needed. Also, add lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. The mixture will solidify, which is better for the filling.

Dough
1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ cup butter, frozen and cut into medium pieces
1 egg, separated. Use egg yolk for the dough and white for the egg wash.
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Place flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl of the food processor and pulse several times. Add cold butter to the flour and process until small bits.

In a medium bowl, mix egg yolk, powdered sugar, and water. Add to a dry mixture in the food processor. Process until dough is almost formed. Remove from the bowl, knead a couple of times, cover with plastic, and place in the refrigerator for an overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick baking spray and sprinkle with some flour.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper to a 1/6-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter or glass to cut out as many circles as possible and place 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each dough circle. Fold like hamantaschen. Pinch the seams firmly to seal. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and cut out additional circles. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

Brush the hamantaschen with the egg white and sprinkle  with the sprinkling mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.