Verbena Pastries: #19. Chocolate Hamantaschen (and Snowman Sugar Cookies)

This is a traditional Jewish pastry usually filled with prunes, or some type of jam. This recipe is a little bit different, and is made with a chocolate filling. How can anyone go wrong with chocolate? Make the filling first, cool it so it doesn't spread before it is baked, then make the sugar cookie dough. The dough for this has also been simplified, the traditional dough is made with cream cheese, similar to rugelach. This is very easy though, and should be made any time of the year!

Chocolate filling:

In a stainless steel saucepan melt:
6T butter and
4oz unsweetened chocolate, it can be placed directly on the heat only if you stir constantly and have it on very low heat. Otherwise melt this in a double boiler.
When fully melted, add 1/2C sugar, with a hand whisk just whisk till combined.
Add 1t vanilla extract, 1/4t salt, 2 cold eggs one at a time, 2T all purpose flour. Whisk until it looks glossy and smooth. Put into a bowl and cool in the fridge, until it is scoopable.

Next made the sugar cookie dough:

In a large bowl place:
2 sticks room temp butter
2C sugar and
1T vanilla extract. With a mixer, whisk until it has been creamed well, and looks lighter in color.
Then add 2 eggs one at a time, whisk until smooth.
In a separate small bowl add 4 cups all purpose flour, 1t baking powder and 1/2t salt, mix briefly, and add this to the butter mixture. Whisk until combined.
Make in to 2 discs, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Cool for 20 minutes in the freezer.

On your counter sprinkle some sugar (to roll it out, instead of using flour, this will make it less dry). Roll it out to 1/8", then with a 3" round cookie cutter make circles. Place these onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. When you have enough circles, put a teaspoon of the chocolate filling in the center of each circle.
You will fold over 3 sides, making it in to a triangle, all 3 corners have to be pinched so that the filling doesn't come out (see photo). Leave 1 1/2" in between, since they will spread a little. Repeat until you run out of chocolate filling, and if you have left over sugar cookie dough, then you can make decorative sugar cookies, just roll the dough 1/4" thick, or thicker depending how you like your sugar cookies (see photos below).
Bake in a 350F oven, bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Delicious. You can also fill the dough with any type of jam you have in the house if you run out of the chocolate filling, also very tasty.