Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

For the dough

• 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 150g (⅔ cup) butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk (optional)
• a pinch of salt
• 1 beaten egg for egg wash

For the filling

• 150g (1 cup) poppy seeds
• 200ml (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons raisins
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Cut the butter into pieces and work it into the flour. Add the egg yolk and work the dough quickly to form a soft ball (this is when you can add the milk if needed). Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. In a saucepan, combine the poppy seeds with the milk and simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes). Add the honey, sugar, and raisins, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice, mix well, and let cool.
3. Divide the dough into four portions (easier to work with), roll out the dough on a floured surface until very thin (less than half a centimeter). Cut into 7.5cm (3-inch) rounds using a cookie cutter or glass. Gather the scraps to roll out again.
4. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each round and fold up three sides to form a triangle, leaving the filling visible in the middle but pinching the sides well. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with beaten egg, and bake in a preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for about 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely before moving them or they may crumble.

Tip

For a prune filling instead of poppy seed, blend 250g (1½ cups) pitted soft prunes with 90ml (⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) orange juice or the amount needed to obtain a thick paste. Add 2 tablespoons of honey if desired.

Photo: Tori Avey