Hemp Seed Filling for Tarts, pastries, and Homentashn (Hamentashen)

Well, of course I am beginning to think of poppy seed fillings, even if we have (blessedly) an extra month to think about them this year, and it seemed to me that the qualities of richness, mild bitterness, and just general seedlikeness (seediness?) that makes mon, or poppy, such an ideal pastry filling all work in favor of hemp seeds too, maybe even more so. My very first hemp seed filling is so delicious that I will be making many more, possibly a hemp and poppy mosaic sometime. Erin from The Skinny Gourmet will be hosting Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging, where you will find all manner of plant-based sweetness.

Hemp Seed Filling for Tarts, pastries, and Homentashn (Hamentashen)

2 cups hulled hemp seeds

1 cup milk (in this recipe, you can easily substitute soymilk or coconut milk)

½ cup agave (or honey)

4 cardamom pods

2 pinches salt

Zest from one largish lemon, grated or microplaned

Toast the hempseeds in an iron skillet to a light golden brown, stirring constantly. Do not toast them quite this dark, because they are headed for a little further cooking. When the toasted seeds have cooled a bit grind them to a coarse meal in a processor or grinder. You could probably leave them whole too, if you feel like skipping this step. Put the ground seeds in a small saucepan with the milk, agave, cardamom pods, and lemon zest. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring until the mixture has thickened. Allow the filling to cool and for heaven’s sake don’t forget to remove those cardamom pods! You can now use the filling for homentashn, strudl, or little tartlettes like these, made with Maida Heatter’s chocolate shortbread dough.

Food and Drink, Recipes, Cooking, Food, Vegetarian, vegan, vegetables, antioxidant-rich foods, Weekend Herb Blogging, whb, chocolate, Baking, Dessert, pastry, hamentashen