Guava hamantaschen
These three-cornered cookies filled with guava paste are easy to make. The pliable dough is shaped without a rolling pin. With the same dough you can also make round cookies with the filling enclosed, or flat cookies with a filling cube on top.
Yield: About 24
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter (4ounces), room temperature, cut in pieces
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg, room temperature 1teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4ounces guava paste
PROCEDURE
1. In a mixer beat butter until softened. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add vanilla.
2. Add flour and salt. Stir until mixture holds together as a dough.
3. Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20minutes or until easy to handle.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 if using an air fryer toaster oven). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil, or butter cookie sheet.
5. Cut guava paste into 1/2-inch cubes.
6. Using a measuring tablespoon, shape dough in 1-inch balls. Roll them between your hands until smooth. Press balls to flatten about halfway. Indent centers with a measuring spoon to make room for filling. Place guava paste cube in center of each one. Pull dough over filling, forming a triangular cookie by folding dough over filling in three arcs, leaving a little filling showing in center. If you prefer, completely enclose filling and make round cookies. (Or bake them as flat cookies with the filling cube on top; filling will be drier this way.)
7. Place cookies on prepared pan about 2 inches apart. In a standard oven, bake at 325degrees for 25minutes; in an air fryer toaster oven, bake at 300 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until dough is very pale golden.
8. Cool on a wire rack.