Foulares: Turkish Purim Eggs

1 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup ice-cold water

salt to taste

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 dozen hard boiled eggs, cooled with shells on

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with no-stick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil and water. Slowly mix in flour and salt, adjusting if necessary by adding more water or flour to get a Playdough consistency.

3. Make a golf ball-sized ball. Gently press an egg into the dough ball. Shape dough around it forming a basket that covers about 1/2 inch around egg. Repeat 5 times; 6 eggs in all.

4. Repeat for remaining 6 eggs. Shape 6 pieces of dough into the shape of a shoe and press into baskets. The basket should sit in the heel of the shoe.

5. Crisscross two strips of dough per egg and lay across eggs, pressing strips into dough baskets to form a handle on each of the 12 baskets. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

6. Cool to room temperature. Serve on plate, break open baskets, remove eggs from shells, and enjoy.

FILLED RAISIN COOKIES

Pastry:

No-stick vegetable spray

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

31/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat cookie sheets with no-stick spray.

3. Cream butter. Mix in sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla. Slowly add remaining ingredients, beating well.

4. On a lightly floured surface, in batches roll dough 1/8 inch thick. With a 21/2 inch cookie cutter, form circles. Place a 1/2 teaspoon of filling on each circle and cover with another circle. Crimp edges with your fingers. Cookies resemble round ravioli. Not wasting dough from surface, repeat until no dough remains. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges lightly brown. Cool.

Yield: 32 cookies

Raisin Filling:

15 oz.-box black raisins

2 tsp. flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water, or more if needed

Place ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Simmer mixture, mashing until raisins soften and thicken. Cool before handling.

FLAKY HAMANTASCHEN

Dough:

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1/2 lb. cream cheese

No-stick spray

1. Cream butter and cheese. Sift flour and gradually add to butter mixture. Make a ball of dough and refrigerate overnight.

3. Leave dough at room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Coat cookie sheets with no-stick spray.

4. On a floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 21/2 inch cookie cutter, cut in circles and place 1/2 tsp. of filling in center. With fingers, crimp edges in three places to form triangles. Not wasting dough from surface, repeat until no dough remains.

5. Bake on cookie sheets for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Yield: 64 cookies

Prune Filling:

12 ounce box pitted prunes

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

In a small saucepan, simmer prunes in water and lemon juice, mashing until mush. Cool before handling.