Hamentashen

Hamentashen are traditional jelly filled cookies that are served during the Jewish holiday of Purim. There are many explanations for why Hamentashen are shaped the way they are. Some say that Hamentashen represent the triangular hat that the villain of the Purim story, Hamen, wore. Others say they are suppose to represent Hamen's ears. Either explanation will do because these cookies are delicious. You do not need to be Jewish to enjoy these festive cookies.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons baking powder
5 1/2 to 6 cups of all purpose flour
Jelly of you choice. Apricot and Raspberry were the jellies that I used. You can also use cherry, poppy seed, prune, or even chocolate spread.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Next, add the baking powder and the flour. Mix the cookie dough until smooth. Now it is time to roll out the cookie dough. When rolling out the cookie dough, be sure to use some extra flour on your work surface and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the cookie dough out to 1/8 of an inch. Cut with a circular cookie cutter or a circular glass. Once you have cut out the circles, place a teaspoon of jelly in the middle of each circle. Fold the sides of the circle over the filling to create a triangle. You may also pinch in the sides to create the Hamentashen. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spray with non stick spray. Place the Hamenstashen on the baking sheet making sure that there is enough space in between the cookies. Bake the Hamentashen in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. After cooking for 15 minutes, let the Hamentashen cool on a cooling rack.