Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
For the dough
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 150 g (⅔ cup) butter
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk (optional)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash
For the filling
- 150 g (1 cup) poppy seeds
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) milk
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp raisins
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Cut the butter into pieces and work it into the flour with your fingers. Add the egg yolk and bring the dough together quickly into a soft ball (this is the point where you can add the milk if needed). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
- 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.
- Divide the dough into four (it will be easier to handle) and roll it out on a floured work surface until very thin (less than 1/2 cm / ¼ inch). Cut out 7.5 cm (3-inch) rounds with a cookie cutter or a glass. Gather the scraps and roll them out again.
- 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 corners firmly. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with the beaten egg and bake in an oven preheated to 190°C (375°F) for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Let them cool completely before moving them, otherwise they may crumble.
Tip
For a prune filling instead of the poppy seed one, blend 250 g (9 oz) soft pitted prunes with 90 ml (6 Tbsp) orange juice, or as much as needed to get a thick paste. Add 2 Tbsp honey if you like.
Photo: Tori Avey