In this episode of In The Kitchen With Matt, I show you how to make pie crust cookies or jelly Tarts, which are very similar to the Jewish Hamantaschen cookies. They are so incredibly easy to make, I usually use my leftover pie crust to make them.

NOTE: True Hamantaschen cookies use a little bit different pastry, but it is pretty similar to pie crust dough.

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Follow the easy steps below or watch the video tutorial or do both!

Step 1: Ingredients and Equipment

Ingredients:

Pie crust - Homemade or storebought
1 tsp of jelly per cookie - You can use jam, preserves, etc. Any kind that you want.
Cinnamon and sugar - optional
1 egg
1 tbsp of water

Tools/Equipment:

Sheet pan or cookie sheet
Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
Basting brush
Spatula
3-inch round cookie cutter use metal of plastic or the rim of a glass

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Step 2: Roll and Cut

If you want to make your pie crust from scratch do that first, then chill it for about 30 minutes in the fridge. I really like this homemade pie crust recipe.

Or if you are using storebought that is totally fine, and perfect for a very quick version of these. I usually just make a few of these with my leftover pie crust scraps, but honestly, sometimes I like using the whole pie crust to make these.

Preheat the oven to 375F/192 C.

Add a little flour to your surface and roll out the pie crust it should be about 1/8th of an inch thick. If you buy a storebought one, it will already be the right thickness.

Then cut out several circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. You can also use the rim of a glass.

Gather up the scraps and then put them together and roll them out again, etc.

Step 3: Jelly Folding or Pinching

Place the round pieces of dough on a sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Add a dollop (about 1 tsp) worth of jelly, jam, or preserves to the center. I love using strawberry preserves, but any flavor will work. Apricot, apple, raspberry, etc., are all great options.

There are two ways to encase the jelly. You can do the folding technique or the pinch technique.

First, prepare the egg wash. Just whisk 1 egg with about 1 tbsp or so of water.

Folding Technique

Fold one edge to the center. Then fold another on top of that, then the final edge. It will make a little pouch that looks like a "hat."

Pinch Technique

Baste egg wash all around the jelly. Then bring the edges together and pinch them. It creates a little different look but also encases the jelly. You can do it either way.

Step 4: Baste, Sprinkle, Bake

Now baste the tops of the cookies with the egg wash, and then sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar. I just take 1/2 cup of sugar and add a few teaspoons of cinnamon to it and keep it in a shaker. Which I use on a variety of treats.

NOTE: The egg wash and cinnamon and sugar are optional, you can leave them off if you like. I find it gives more flavor to the pie crust.

Place on the middle rack in your oven and bake for 10 to 18 minutes until lightly golden brown. In my oven, it takes right around 16 minutes.

Step 5: Cool and Serve

Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. You can eat them warm, just be careful because that jelly center will be extremely hot when they first come out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Print the whole hamantaschen recipe here if you want.