Ingredients
2cupsall purpose flour,spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife, plus more for rolling the dough (see note)
½tspbaking powder
¼tspsalt
1stickunsalted butter,(¼ lb), softened
1cupsugar
1largeegg
1largeegg yolk
1½tspvanilla extract
3tbspunsalted butter
2ozchocolate,unsweetened, finely chopped
¼cupsugar,(plus 2 tbsp)
½tspvanilla extract
⅛tspsalt
1largeegg
1tbspall purpose flour
Preparation
In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Scrape the dough onto a very lightly floured surface (just a few pinches of flour) and knead with hands a few times until smooth.
Divide the dough into 2 pieces and form each into a 6-inch disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight until firm enough to roll.
Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, about one minute. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.
Stir in the sugar, vanilla and salt. The mixture will look grainy — that’s okay. Add the egg and stir until incorporated.
Stir in the flour and beat with a spoon until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove 1 disc of dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until supple enough to roll. Place the dough on a very lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to soften it up.
Roll to about ⅛-inch thick, turning and dusting with more pinches of flour as necessary. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out 3-inch circles and place them about half an inch apart on the prepared pans. Re-roll and re-cut any excess dough.
Scoop and place a level teaspoon of the chocolate filling in the center of each cookie (do not overfill). Bring 3 sides of each cookie up to partially cover the filling, then firmly pinch the edges of the cookie to seal the corners and form a triangle.
Place the unbaked hamantaschen in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.
Bake for 12 minutes, turning the pans halfway through baking, until lightly golden around the edges.
Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of the cookies are baked.
