My never-fail hamentaschen recipe

1/2 C shortening

1/2 C (one stick) margarine

1 1/4 C sugar

3 eggs

1/4 C milk or soy milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

4 1/2 C flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the fats with the sugar in a mixer or by hand until creamed together well.  Add in the liquids and mix well.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix gently; add extra flour if needed to make a soft but firm dough.  Let it sit 10 minutes to let the flour absorb the liquids well and be easier to roll out.  Put 1/2 to 1/3 of the dough at a time on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8 to 1/4".  Use a round cookie cutter (biscuit cutters, canning jars, old jelly jars, cereal bowls, anything round like that works).  Put the rounds on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or oiled foil.  Put filling (chocolate spread like Nutella, pie filling, fruit preserves, peanut butter mixed with confectioners sugar, chocolate chips, whatever you like) in the center of each round and draw up three sides to make the rounds into 3 cornered triangular pastries.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.  Remove each cookie to a rack to cool thoroughly.