I admit that the first time a customer requested hamentaschen I had to go to the local kosher bakery to see what the person was talking about. But then I recognized them immediately and I quickly fell in love with every variety of light pastry stuffed with jam. Use any preserve or jam in the center that you like, but I’ve included a recipe for my favorite blackberry filling. You can sub in a different berry without trouble, with the exception of raspberries, which tend to be very watery and don’t, for the most part, thicken up all that well.

　　

Ingredients

makes 30

　　

Blackberry Jam

2 quarts blackberries

　　3 cups agave nectar

　　3 tablespoons lemon juice

　　1 teaspoon arrowroot

　　1/2 cup poppy seeds

　　Basic Gluten-Free Pastry Dough (page 32)

　　

Step 1

Combine the blackberries, agave nectar, lemon juice, arrowroot, and poppy seeds in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. Pour the jam into an airtight container.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

　　

Step 3

Roll the dough out onto a clean work surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Drop a teaspoonful of the jam filling into the center of each circle. Identify three separate, equidistant points on the edge of the rounds to create a perfect triangle. Grab the dough at these three points and bring them up one at a time around the filling to form a tent and pinch the points and seams together, leaving a bit of the filling exposed (as pictured).

　　

Step 4

Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, rotate, then continue baking for 7 minutes more, or until the edges are browned. Remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

　　Reprinted December 9, 2011, with permission from Babycakes Covers the Classics by Erin McKenna, © 2011 Clarkson Potter. Buy the full book at Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.