Old Fashioned Orange Infused Hamentashen with Dried Fruit Filling

Dough:
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
½ cup minus 2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp vodka or bourbon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda

Filling:
1 lb. pitted prunes
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp orange juice
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp orange zest (approximately)

Egg Wash:
1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp water

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil until light. Add the remaining dough ingredients in the order they appear. Mix well. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and let rest for 20 minutes. (See NOTE.)
2. Place the prunes, apricots and raisins into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until the fruit begins to turn into a paste. Add juice and water, and pulse again. Once it has become completely paste-like, transfer to a bowl and add cinnamon, chopped nuts, sugar and orange zest. Mix very well to incorporate. Note: The fruit filling can be made well in advance. It even freezes well.
3. Preheat oven to 350° F.
4. Work with half the dough and cover the other half until ready to use it. Roll out dough on a floured surface to about 1⁄8-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter (a tuna can works as well) and cut as many circles as possible.
5. Brush rounds lightly with egg wash. Place 1 generous teaspoonful (approximately) of filling into the center of each round and bring up the three sides to create a triangle, pinching sides together. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash again. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

NOTES: You can make the dough in advance and refrigerate it for up to 2 days – just make sure it is at room temperature before you roll it out.
Because they don’t contain margarine, these hamentashen will dry out more quickly. Store them in Ziploc bags as soon as they are fully cooled. If you are sending them as part of your Mishloach Manos, make sure to package them in bags to keep them fresh.