Hamantashen -- Purim Cookies

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ pound butter (1 stick), cut up

teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon orange juice

5 tablespoons (about) ice-cold water

¿ cup filling (date, apricot, fig, poppyseed, etc.)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a paddle in an electric mixer, mix the flour, butter, salt and sugar to breadcrumb consistency. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the orange zest and juice and add cold water until the mixture starts coming together.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pull and knead by hand until it forms a rollable dough.

Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 3-inch-round cutter and cut out circles.

Place circles on a baking sheet. Place your filling on the rounds and fold up the edges to form triangular cookies with open centers. Pinch the corners of the dough to seal. Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes 12 to 17 cookies.

Chef Charles Phillips, Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling