hamantaschen!

i was trying to explain hamantaschen to our neighbor friends.  the ten second version of the story of purim went like this: "there was a bad man named haman who wanted to kill all the jews.  also, he wore a hat shaped like a triangle.  but then there was a good jewish queen, and she saved the jews and hamen died instead of the jews.  and so the jews are happy and one way we commemorate this is by making cookies shaped like the hat."

it sounds bizarre when put that way, but the cookies are delicious and so they are worth it.  this was the first time i've done them by myself, and this dough recipe from New York Times is a keeper:

as a reminder to myself, i didn't use the egg wash.  also, next time these are made, remember that the dough cracks but you don't have to be scrd.

because they turn out fine.  except the cherry - since i used preserves, some of the liquid leaked.  but that didn't stop us from eating 3 1/2 dozen in about five days.  which is rather embarrassing.  especially since i was too busy eating to take good pics.

i made four kinds.  my very favorite is mun (poppy seed), and after that i like lekvar (prune), shown above.  if poppy seed and prune cookies don't float your boat, i bet the cherry and chocolate ones will.  sweet jeebus, these were delicious.  i can't make these again any time soon or bad/delicious things will occur.