Queen For A Day

Queen Esther was a brave and plucky gal who would have been a great addition to the bakery kitchen crew. I would have aligned myself right alongside her, marveling at her patience as she explained Hamantaschen to the barista staff. Esther would be the one responsible for maintaining peace between the Gluten-Free-ers and the Non, the No-Dairy-No-Soy-No-Nut Nuts. We would reign over the kitchen, donning crowns instead of bandanas, looking fabulous sans make-up. Neither the oppressive kitchen heat nor the frigid winter air would encumber our culinary triumphs.

As a tribute to the heroine of Purim, and after filling way too many Hamantaschen with apricot jam this week,  I’m stepping outside of the triangle. Why not lemon curd filling snuggled up inside rich cream cheese dough? Not wanting to stray too far from tradition, I tossed in a few poppy seeds for good measure. Yes, I know, lemon curd is a delicate commodity that should be treated with respect. Some may think that three hundred and fifty degrees in the oven borders on the criminal. Yet after researching dozens of traditional and contemporary recipes, I’m sticking with fresh lemon curd this go around. Please note you need to roll your Hamantaschen dough uber thin and chill the filled triangles for a good 20 minutes before baking them off. There is also a chance that the lemon filling may start to sigh in the baking process, expanding a touch, but it’s worth it. If you are unhappy that the baked curd loses a bit of its shine, the drizzle of lemon glaze will make everything right again. And once the Hamantaschen are cooling on a rack, I think Esther and I deserve the rest of the day off. We may just go out to lunch, or enjoy a brisk run, crowns and all.  Happy Purim.

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