Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Hamentaschen (gluten free variation)

Ok so traditionally I know they are supposed to be FILLED with poppy seeds, but why not get crazy and add some lemon curd into the mix!? My friend Yael (not to be mistaken with Yael from Israel- the star of the previous post on CAKE-KEBAB)... But Yael, my nurse friend in NYC who is just such a delight to spend my mornings with, came over to assist me in some pre-Purim traditions... In addition to the usual suspects of apricot, raspberry and chocolate filled hamantaschen, we decided to make a poppy seed dough and fill them with a zesty lemon curd to create the most divine treat you have ever had... well, that is of course in lemon is your thing. (I know my dad is probably drooling on his keyboard right about now! ENJOY!

SEE RECIPE BELOW - Click here for Lemon Curd recipe

And for all of you readers who have NO IDEA what a Hama-wha is... click here

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Hamentaschen
Dietary Considerations/ Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Whole Wheat, Low Fat

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour (substitute Bob's Mill Gluten free flour mix for gluten free Hamantaschen)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup earth balance
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons packed finely grated fresh orange or lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2/3 cup lemon curd filling (click here for a lemon curd recipe)
1/4 cup poppy seeds (or more to your liking)

Directions/
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat earth balance, sugar, and egg at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add zest and juice and beat until incorporated. Add flour mixture, stirring, until a smooth dough is formed. Add poppy seeds. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Halve dough. On a lightly floured surface roll out half of dough (keeping other half wrapped and chilled) 1/4 inch thick. With a 3-inch cutter cut out as many rounds as possible. Transfer rounds with a metal spatula to a large baking sheet, arranging about 1/2 inch apart. Re-roll scraps and cut out more rounds. Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round and fold up edges to form triangular cookies resembling a tricornered hat, pinching corners together and leaving filling exposed. (Pinch dough tightly enough so seams are no longer visible and sides are taut enough to prevent cookies from leaking filling as they bake.)

Bake hamantaschen in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool hamantaschen on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more hamantaschen with remaining dough and filling in same manner. Hamantaschen keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days. ENJOY!