by Marcy Goldman

Use parchment paper on your baking sheets - this eliminates clean-up but more important, ensures the bottom of these pastries don't get too brown before their tops are done.

An added protection against burnt bottoms is to add extra insulation- double stack your baking sheets. Fit one baking sheet onto another one.

Bake pastries on the upper third of the oven - usually the bottom part of the oven is too hot and may also cause premature bottom browning.

Paint the whole bottom interior (the part on which the filling goes) of the pastry with water, preferably egg wash. This is quicker than trying to just moisten the outer perimeter and makes for a great seal when you form the rounds into hamentashen triangles.

Roll dough once, then set scraps aside. Roll scraps only once - hopefully you will not have too much excess - because a lean dough like hamentashen dough can only be rolled a couple of times before becoming really tough and baking into dry pastries.

PERSIAN SESAME SEED COOKIES

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling the cookie sheet
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 cups sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a cookie sheet if it is not non-stick. Put the eggs, sugar and the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large bowl. Mix well.

Over a small bowl, sift together the baking soda and flour. Add the sifted flour and baking soda to the egg mixture. Mix well.

Add the sesame seeds to the flour and eggs, and thoroughly blend all of the ingredients.

By eye, divide this mixture into about 20 equal amounts. Using the palms of the hands, roll this mixture into small balls, one cookie at a time.

Spread the cookie balls across the cookie sheet, firmly pressing each cookie down; using the thumb works well here.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Yields: About 20 cookies.

DATE AND ORANGE SALAD

1 head of lettuce, preferably a soft,
leafy lettuce other than iceberg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
3 large navel oranges, peeled and separated into sections, with membrane skin removed
4 ounces dates, pitted and chopped
2 ounces blanched almonds, toasted and chopped

Separate the tender leaves of the lettuce and tear into pieces. Rinse well under cold water. Drain, pat dry, place in a salad bowl. Chill for at least one hour.

Chop the dates. Toast the almonds, about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F., taking care that these not burn. A toaster-oven does this job well.

Allow the almonds to cool and then chop them coarsely with a knife. Do not use a food processor here, as the processor will turn the almonds into a paste.

Mix together the lemon juice, orange juice, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon. To serve, pour half of the dressing over the lettuce and toss.

Arrange the orange sections over the lettuce and then top with the dates and almonds. Sprinkle over the remaining dressing and dust gently with the remaining cinnamon.

Serves 6.